Pole vaulting is a unique sport in that athletes often land from heights ranging from 10 to 20 feet. We retrospectively reviewed 32 catastrophic pole-vault injuries that were reported to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research between 1982 and 1998. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanisms of injury so that preventive strategies can be implemented. Information was obtained by means of a telephone interview with someone familiar with the accident. All injuries occurred in male athletes at an average age of 17.5 years; 31 were catastrophic head injuries and 1 was a thoracic spine fracture that resulted in paraplegia. Three common mechanisms were identified: 17 (53%) athletes landed with their body on the landing pad and their head on the surrounding hard ground, 8 (25%) landed in the vault box after being stranded at the height of the jump, and 5 (16%) completely missed the landing pad. The mechanism of injury in the remaining two athletes was unknown. The accident resulted in death in 16 (50%) athletes and in permanent disability in 6 (19%). Increasing the minimum landing pad size and enforcing the rule requiring soft surfaces adjacent to the landing pads are the primary recommendations for preventing injuries. The authors discuss other rule and equipment changes that may help reduce the occurrence of future injuries.
The 2003 rule changes have markedly reduced the number of catastrophic injuries, especially fatalities, from pole vaulters missing the back or sides of the landing pads; however, the average annual rate of catastrophic injuries from pole vaulters landing in the vault box has more than tripled over the past decade and remains a major problem.
This letter is written in response to the article ''Catastrophic Injuries in Pole Vaulters: A Prospective 9-Year Follow-up Study'' by Boden et al. 1 The authors should be commended for their work in improving pole vault safety. However, I have some concerns. Based on a conclusion in the study that ''the average annual rate of catastrophic injuries from pole vaulters landing in the vault box has more than tripled over the past decade and remains a major problem,'' 1(p1488) the National Collegiate Athletic Association on December 1, 2013 implemented a rule making it mandatory to use a certain Safety Max Box Collar (retail, $600; Gill Athletics, Champaign, Illinois, USA) in pole vaulting. The National Federation of State High School Associations is likely soon to follow.The authors of this article claimed no conflict of interest. However, coauthor Jan Johnson, the inventor of the Safety Max Box Collar, had secured a patent in 2009.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.