Injuries sustained by rugby players presenting to United States emergency departments, 1978 through 2004.

CONTEXT: Although the United States has nearly 60 000 rugby players, to date no nationally representative rugby injury studies have been conducted.

OBJECTIVE

To describe rugby players with injuries presenting to a representative sample of US emergency departments from 1978 through 2004.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

US Consumer Products Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

PATIENTS OR OTHER

PARTICIPANTS

Rugby players presenting to emergency departments in participating hospitals from October 1, 1978, through December 31, 2004.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We reviewed all rugby players with injuries captured by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and categorized them by sex, age, injury site, and injury diagnosis.

RESULTS

An estimated 236 539 rugby players presented to US emergency departments from 1978 through 2004. Injured athletes tended to be male (87.2%) and older than 18 years of age (86.0%). The face (20.5%), shoulder (14.1%), head (11.5%), and ankle (9.1%) were the most frequently injured sites. Strain/sprain (24.3%), laceration (22.1%), fracture (18.7%), and contusion/abrasion (16.6%) were the most common diagnoses. Males presented with more face injuries (injury proportion ratio [IPR] = 2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.54-2.72, P < .001) and more lacerations (IPR = 4.23, 95% CI = 2.87-6.22, P < .001) and dislocations (IPR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.51-3.13, P < .001). Females presented with more knee injuries (IPR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.36-2.06, P < .001) and more contusions/abrasions (IPR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.14-1.92, P < .001) and strains/sprains (IPR = 1.39, 95% = CI 1.16-1.67, P < .001). Those 18 years of age or younger presented with more concussions (IPR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.06-2.50, P < .001), while those over 18 presented with more lacerations (IPR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.30-2.57, P < .001). In males, fractures were more common among those 18 years of age or younger (IPR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.24-1.75, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Rugby injury patterns in the United States differed by age and sex. Understanding such patterns should assist certified athletic trainers in developing targeted preventive interventions.