Indoor Bouldering—A Prospective Injury Evaluation

Auer, Jonas; Schöffl, Volker; Achenbach, Leonard; Meffert, Rainer H.; Fehske, Kai

doi:10.1016/j.wem.2021.02.002

Cited by 13 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…This is supported by our present study, showing a slightly higher incidence of wrist injuries with bouldering over lead climbing. Auer et al 3 reported more acute than chronic overuse injuries from bouldering. This differs from our study in which almost 70% of the injuries were reported as chronic, with a long interval between the onset of pain and the beginning of treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wrist Injuries in Climbers

Schöffl,

von Schroeder,

Lisse

et al. 2023

Am J Sports Med

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Background: Acute and chronic injuries to the wrist are among the most common sport-related complaints of climbing athletes but have not been extensively evaluated in this population. Therefore, it is important to categorize climbing injuries to the wrist, analyze risk factors, and assess treatment outcomes. Purpose: To evaluate the distribution, outcomes, and influencing factors of wrist injuries in climbers. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Climbing athletes with wrist injuries who presented to our specialized sports medical center over the course of 4 years (2017-2020) were selected. All had prospectively completed questionnaires including their climbing-specific background (years of training, climbing level, training methods, etc). Injuries were analyzed (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation [UIAA] grade and diagnosis), and treatment methods and outcomes were retrospectively assessed with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Parameters included the climbing score, visual analog scale for pain score, Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score, and shortened version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score including the sport component (DASH–Sport) score before and after treatment as well as time to return to climbing. Results: A total of 69 patients (25 female, 44 male) with 78 wrist injuries were identified and analyzed. Of these, 7 injuries were bilateral, occurring at the same time, and 2 injuries were independent reinjuries to either the same or the contralateral side. In addition, 24 injuries (30.8%) were acute, while 54 (69.2%) were chronic. Overall, 2 injuries had a UIAA grade of 3; all others had a UIAA grade of 2. The most frequent injuries were synovitis of the ulnocarpal recess, ulnar impaction, bone marrow edema of the lunate, wrist sprains (joint capsular pain with stress, with no pathological finding on magnetic resonance imaging), and wrist ganglion cysts. Nonoperative treatment was performed for 61 of the injuries, while 17 were treated surgically. In 51 cases (65.4%), injuries healed without consequences; in 27 cases (34.6%), discomfort remained. The visual analog scale pain score decreased from 4.8 ± 1.9 before treatment to 0.7 ± 1.0 after treatment ( P < .001), the PRWE score decreased from 53.6 ± 24.9 to 10.3 ± 13.1 ( P < .001), the QuickDASH score improved from 53.0 ± 16.6 to 20.0 ± 20.2 ( P < .001), and the DASH–Sport score improved from 82.0 ± 16.1 to 38.1 ± 23.5 ( P < .001). The climbing score improved from 2.5 ± 1.1 to 4.3 ± 1.0 points ( P < .001). The patient-reported number of days with pain was negatively correlated with changes in the PRWE score ( r = −0.351; P < .001), QuickDASH score ( r = −0.316; P = .007), and climbing score ( r = −0.264; P = .025) as well as the number of days without climbing ( r = −0.266; P = .025). The number of days without climbing was positively correlated with changes in the PRWE score ( r = 0.369; P < .001). Conclusion: Wrist injuries in climbers constituted a diverse set of diagnoses. Ulnar-sided injuries were most common, and many patients had >1 diagnosis. Outcomes for all treatment methods (surgery and nonoperative care) were favorable, but approximately one-third of climbers had persistent wrist discomfort after treatment, underscoring the need for accurate diagnoses and acute and expert care.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wrist Injuries in Climbers

Schöffl,

von Schroeder,

Lisse

et al. 2023

Am J Sports Med

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“…Multiple studies have investigated injury distribution (4,(9)(10)(11). As an approximation, upper extremity injuries account for 60% to 70% of total injuries, lower extremity 20% to 30%, and others, such as head or torso injuries, less than 10%.…”

Section: Injury Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Guide to Indoor Rock Climbing Injuries

Leung¹

2023

Curr Sports Med Rep

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Rock climbing is an increasingly popular indoor sport with a sizable risk of overuse injuries. Yet, many medical practitioners have little familiarity with evaluating and treating climbing injuries because of the terminology, biomechanical demands, mechanisms of injury, and return to sport counseling needed, unique to the sport. This review seeks to educate practitioners on these aspects. Upper extremity injuries occur more frequently than lower extremity injuries, with finger injuries being most prevalent. Pulley injuries, consisting of rupture of the A2 or A4 annular pulleys are the most common type of injury. Other finger injuries include tenosynovitis of the flexor tendons, as well as lumbrical muscle tears. Elbow injuries occur frequently, with medial epicondylopathy being most common. Brachialis injuries are seldom seen outside of climbing. Lower-extremity injuries are typically more acute in nature, including ankle injuries from falls and knee injuries from strenuous climbing moves.Rock climbing is an increasingly popular sport, especially after its inclusion in the 2020 Olympics. In 2021, 53 new climbing gyms opened in the United States despite the COVID-19 pandemic, totaling 591, around four times the number of gyms that existed in 2000 (1). Now, there are almost twice as many indoor climbers as those who climb outdoors (2). Although generally considered safe, a literature review showed that injuries are still common, with an incidence of between 1.52 and 4.24 per 1000 hours of participation (3). Even with an increasing amount of research on this subject, there are still few publications reviewing climbing injuries with the focus of informing medical practitioners who may encounter them.

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“…1 -3 These injuries can range from acute sprains, fractures, or dislocations to chronic overuse injuries. 1 -3 Despite the high frequency of upper extremity injury among climbers, to our knowledge, acute pectoralis major tendon rupture during bouldering has not yet been described.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Upper extremity injuries are common in climbing and may be seen in 25 to 90% of all climbingrelated injuries, depending on chronicity. [1][2][3] These injuries can range from acute sprains, fractures, or dislocations to chronic overuse injuries. [1][2][3] Despite the high frequency of upper extremity injury among climbers, to our knowledge, acute pectoralis major tendon rupture during bouldering has not yet been described.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%