Rising rates of sports-related hand and wrist injuries: An age- and sex-specific analysis of national injury data from 2020 to 2024.

INTRODUCTION

The hand and wrist are commonly injured during sports participation. These injuries burden patients who rely on manual dexterity in sports and activities of daily living. This study aimed to examine sports-related hand and wrist injuries across age, sex, and sport.

METHODS

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for injuries presenting to United States emergency departments between 2020-2024. Sample weights were used to compute national estimates (NE). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 28.0 (Chicago, IL). Linear regression was used to evaluate temporal trends. Pearson's chi-squared test was used for significance testing.

RESULTS

There were 1,273,895 NE cases from 2020 to 2024. Injuries increased significantly over the study period (p < 0.05). The three sports that led to the most injuries were basketball, football, and bicycling. High schoolers (14-18) experienced the most injuries during the study period (NE: 350,100). Men were injured more often than females (p﹤0.05). Finger injuries accounted for a majority (50.8%) of injuries. The most common diagnosis was fracture (36.3%). Only 1.4% of injuries resulted in hospitalization, with a majority (53.5%) of hospitalizations following wrist injuries.

CONCLUSION

Sports-related hand and wrist injuries have increased significantly. Injuries are most frequent among male high school athletes, with basketball and football contributing to the most cases. The most common injuries are finger fractures, although wrist injuries lead to the most hospitalizations. This research demonstrates rising rates of injuries that may be preventable via protective gear.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.