Sports‐related eye injuries: floorball endangers the eyes of young players

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of different sports-related eye injuries and to identify injury types to enable recommendations to be made about the use of protective eyewear. The study population comprises all 565 eye trauma patients examined at the Ophthalmology Emergency Clinic of the Helsinki University Central Hospital over a 6-month period. Data were collected from patient histories and questionnaires. In addition, three severe floorball eye injury cases are presented. Of the 565 eye traumas, 94 (17%) were sports related. Of these, 42 (45%) were associated with floorball. Countrywide, in Finland, estimated over 300 (+95% CI 228-415) floorball eye injuries occur annually. The mean age of floorball patients was 22 years. The most common finding (55%) in sports injury patients was hyphema. Clinically severe eye injuries during this period accounted for one-fourth of all cases. During the study period, no eye injury was found in an organized junior ice hockey, where facial protection is mandatory. Floorball is estimated to belong to the highest risk group in sports, and thus, the use of protective eyewear is strongly recommended. We conclude that national floorball federations should make protective eyewear mandatory.

A 10-Year Survey of Severe Eye Injuries in Sport in Belgrade, Serbia 2000-2009

“…Our study showed that the percentage of sport eye inju- ries on the territory of the city of Belgrade of 3.6% was significantly less in comparison to percentage of the same injuries reported by other authors [3][4][5][6][7]. There are several reasons for the aforementioned.…”

“…Canavan et al in 1980 reported the incidence of sport eye injures of 4.1% [4], and Jones, in 1988, showed the increase of percentage to 25.1% [5], while in MacEwen's paper, 1989, the proportion of sport eye injures was 42.2% [6]. At the beginning of 21st century such percentage was decreased, and therefore, Barr et al, in their study in 2000, reported the sport eye injury incidence of 12.5% [2], and in 2007 study by Len et al, such percent was 11% [7]. This paper analyzes the incidence, nature of injury and functional sequelae of sport injuries in Serbia in the first decade of our century.…”

Sports‐related eye injuries: the current picture

“…In the current study period, protective eyewear was mandatory in the under-14 age group. In the current study (6-month time period), the number of floorball eye injuries in the under-14 age group was one compared to 11 in the previously published study , in an equal 6-month time period) (Leivo et al 2007); the sole floorball eye injury in the under-14 age group was incurred during a non-organised practice.…”

“…As the latter (Leivo et al 2007) data set was collected for a 6-month period, and many sports are to some extent seasonal, the comparison was performed for an equal, 6-month time period, 3.12-3.6. 95% confidence intervals and a chi-square distribution test were used for statistical analysis of incidence rate differences.…”

“…Most sports eye injuries are preventable using protective eyewear and thus mandate the need for current epidemiological data. In several Nordic and central European countries, there is a special interest in floorball eye trauma, because it has been reported to cause the majority of injuries (Ghosh & Bauer 1995;Drolsum 1999;Leivo et al 2007;Maxen et al 2011). In a previous Finnish study, 17% of all eye injuries were sports related, and of these, 45% were caused by floorball (Leivo et al 2007).…”