[Kitesurfing injuries. A trendy youth sport ].

The aim of this review article is to give an overview of current knowledge on kitesurfing injuries. As part of a prospective study, the overall self-reported injury rate was 7.0 per 1000 h of practice. One fatal accident and 11 severe injuries occurred. The most commonly injured sites were foot and ankle, head, chest, and knee. Contusions, abrasions, and lacerations were amongst the most frequent injuries. None of the athletes suffering a head injury used a helmet; the board had been flung against the head by the elastic board leech in all cases. The most common injury situation was the jump. Fifty-six percent of the injuries were attributed to the inability to detach the kite from the harness. There was a tendency that athletes using a quick release system, which enables the surfers to detach the kite in emergency situations, sustained fewer injuries than athletes without such a release system. In conclusion, kitesurfing is a sport with a comparably high injury rate. Preventive measures can reduce the injury rate considerably.