Intercollegiate ice hockey injuries: a three-year analysis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the type, nature, and frequency of injuries sustained in intercollegiate ice hockey. Seven schools from the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference and Hockey East Conference participated from 1987 through 1990. There were 280 injuries reported with a total injury rate of 10.22/1000 athlete exposures (AE). The contest injury rate (14.73/1000 AE) was higher than practice (2.52/1000 AE). Forwards (11.40/1000 AE) had the highest rate of injury followed by the defense (9.90/1000 AE). Eighty-six percent of all injuries were sustained by a direct impact mechanism, of which person/ice contact had an injury rate of 4.20/1000 AE. The shoulder (1.86/1000 AE) and knee (1.61/1000 AE) were the most frequently injured body parts. The data reported are consistent with other studies, with contusions as the most common type of injury and a higher incidence of injury reported during competition. There was a low rate of head/face/neck injuries (1.13/1000 AE), which may be a result of the required use of helmets and face guards in this population.