Pediatric and Adolescent Figure Skating Injuries: A 15-Year Retrospective Review.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the characteristics of injuries sustained by young figure skaters who were evaluated at regional pediatric sports medicine clinics.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review (2003-2017).

SETTING

Sports medicine clinics at a tertiary-level pediatric medical center.

PATIENTS

Two hundred ninety-four figure skaters (271 female and 23 male). Age rage: 9 to 19 years. Mean age: 14.2 ± 2.3 years.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mechanism of injury (acute vs overuse), injured body areas, diagnoses for most commonly injured body areas, and distribution of bone stress injuries.

RESULTS

Eight hundred sixty-four figure skating-related injuries were identified. Approximately 68.9% were overuse and 31.1% were acute. In female figure skaters, the most frequently injured body areas were foot/ankle (29.6%), knee (19.3%), and back (15.8%). In male figure skaters, they were foot/ankle (25.4%), hip (16.4%), and knee (14.9%). Most common diagnoses at these body areas were tendinopathy (foot/ankle), extensor mechanism (knee), and posterior column bone stress injuries (back). All injuries to anterior knee structures, excluding bone contusions, were categorized as extensor mechanism injuries. About 11.8% of all injuries were bone stress reactions/fractures with the majority occurring at the back (42.2%), foot/ankle (32.4%), and lower leg (15.7%).

CONCLUSION

Most injuries sustained by figure skaters were overuse and occurred most commonly at the foot/ankle (29.6%), knee (19.3%), and back (15.8%). Approximately 1 in 10 injuries were bone stress reactions/fractures, and nearly 1 in every 3 skaters who presented with back pain was diagnosed with a posterior column bone stress injury. Health care providers who take care of young figure skaters need to maintain a high index of suspicion for overuse injuries, especially bone stress reactions/fractures.