The Impact of Body Checking on Youth Ice Hockey Injuries

Abstract

Background:Body checking is a common cause of youth ice hockey injuries. Consequently, USA Hockey raised the minimum age at which body checking is permitted from the Pee Wee level (11-12 years old) to the Bantam level (13-14 years old) in 2011.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this investigation was to determine the impact of body checking on the distribution of injuries reported in youth ice hockey players. We hypothesized that the elimination of body checking at the Pee Wee level would lower the frequency of serious injuries, particularly concussions.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:Injury data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a United States Consumer Product Safety Commission database, were analyzed for Pee Wee and Bantam players between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010 and again between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015. Data on the location of injury, diagnosis, and mechanism of injury were collected. The location of injury was categorized into 4 groups: head and neck, upper extremity, lower extremity, and core. Diagnoses investigated included concussions, fractures, lacerations, strains or sprains, internal organ injuries, and other. The mechanism of injury was broken down into 2 categories: checking and other.Results:Between the 2008-2010 and 2013-2015 seasons, overall injuries decreased by 16.6% among Pee Wee players, with injuries caused by body checking decreasing by 38.2% (P = .012). There was a significant change in the distribution of diagnoses in the Pee Wee age group during this time frame (P = .007): strains or sprains, internal organ injuries, and fractures decreased in frequency, while the number of concussions increased by 50.0%. In the Bantam age group, recorded injuries decreased by 6.8%, and there was no change in the distribution of the location of injury, diagnosis, or mechanism of injury (P > .05).Conclusion:There was an observed reduction in the total number, mechanism, and type of injuries when body checking was eliminated from the Pee Wee level. There was, however, an unexpected increase in the number of concussions.

Nationwide sports injury prevention strategies: A scoping review

“…Six of the 33 included studies evaluated the effects of implementing national sports rules and/or policy changes. 42,43,57,64,65,70 Body checking among Pee Wee (11-12 years old) ice hockey players has been banned in Canada 42 and the USA 65 nationally. The USA implemented this policy change in 2011, demonstrating a 38.2% decrease in body checking injuries.…”

“…The USA implemented this policy change in 2011, demonstrating a 38.2% decrease in body checking injuries. 65 Canada followed in 2013 leading to a 50% reduction in body checking injuries and a 64% reduction in concussion rates. 42 Conversely, the USA policy change saw a 50% increase in concussions in the Pee Wee players, with the authors hypothesizing that increased head-to-ice contacts and increased concussion awareness among players were possible mechanisms for this rise.…”

“…42 Conversely, the USA policy change saw a 50% increase in concussions in the Pee Wee players, with the authors hypothesizing that increased head-to-ice contacts and increased concussion awareness among players were possible mechanisms for this rise. 65 Krolikowski et al posited that increased player strength and conditioning was a potential factor in an increase in game-related concussions in Pee Wee and Bantam ice hockey following the implementation of a "zero tolerance for head contact" rule in Canada. 57 Three studies from the USA demonstrated positive results following rule change.…”

Video corroboration of player incurred impacts using trunk worn sensors among national ice-hockey team members

“…To this point, in 2011, USA Hockey raised the minimum age that body checking is permitted from 11–12 years (Pee Wee) to 13–14 years (Bantam level) [4]. To examine the issue of player safety and checking in youth ice-hockey, numerous epidemiological studies have been performed, but the results have been equivocal [5, 6]. Some studies reported that decreasing age of exposure to checking increased the odds of injury [7], while other studies found no significant change to injury rates with an increase to the minimum checking age [8].…”

Physician at sport events: First aid or something more

“…Takođe je bitno obratiti pažnju i na razlike u povređivanju u odnosu na pol i starost (4), odnosno u odnosu na vrstu sporta, jer svaki sport ima svoje specifičnosti zbog većeg angažovanja određene grupe mišića i delova koštano-zglobnog sistema usled repetitivnog ponavljanja određenog pokreta (5)(6)(7)(8) …”