Baioccato Veronica, Paronuzzi Silvia, Bazo Marco, Zanardo Emanuele, Sattin Viola, Lorenzoni Giulia, Gregori Dario, Ermolao Andrea, Bressan Silvia
Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, University Hospital of Padova, Regional Centre for Exercise Prescription in Chronic Diseases, Padua, Italy.
Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
Ital J Pediatr. 2025 Jul 11;51(1):220. doi: 10.1186/s13052-025-02083-8.
Rugby is the third most played contact team sport worldwide. Its growing popularity is raising concerns about injuries rates, given its collision-based nature and minimal use of protective gear. However, research on rugby injuries in Italy, especially in the pediatric age group, remains limited.
This retrospective study examined the visits of patients with rugby-related injuries presenting to a tertiary-care Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) in the Veneto region of Italy, which is the Italian region with the highest rate of youth rugby participation.
The data of 928 PED admissions for rugby-related injuries were extracted from the electronic PED medical records between 2007 and 2021, and analyzed for demographics, injury characteristics and outcomes. Rugby-related injuries accounted for 0.3% of total PED visits (total admissions: 306,508). Injuries to the upper limbs were the most common (40.8%), with contusions being the most frequent diagnoses (34.7%). Concussions accounted for 12.6% of all injuries. The most common injury mechanism was contact with another player (71%). Most injuries were minor, resulting in discharge to home in 97% of cases, while only 3% required hospitalization.
This study provides insights into pediatric rugby injuries in the Italian setting. Our findings highlight the importance of prevention strategies for concussion and upper limb injuries. Further research is warranted to adopt evidence-based interventions for reducing the burden of rugby-related injuries in children and youth.
橄榄球是全球第三大参与人数众多的接触性团队运动。鉴于其基于碰撞的性质以及防护装备使用极少，其日益普及引发了对受伤率的担忧。然而，关于意大利橄榄球伤病的研究，尤其是在儿童年龄组，仍然有限。
这项回顾性研究调查了意大利威尼托地区一家三级护理儿科急诊科（PED）收治的与橄榄球相关伤病患者的就诊情况，威尼托地区是意大利青少年参与橄榄球运动比例最高的地区。
从2007年至2021年的电子PED医疗记录中提取了928例因橄榄球相关伤病入住PED的数据，并对人口统计学、损伤特征和治疗结果进行了分析。橄榄球相关伤病占PED总就诊人数的0.3%（总入院人数：306,508）。上肢损伤最为常见（40.8%），挫伤是最常见的诊断（34.7%）。脑震荡占所有损伤的12.6%。最常见的损伤机制是与其他球员接触（71%）。大多数损伤为轻伤，97%的病例出院回家，只有3%需要住院治疗。
本研究为意大利环境下的儿童橄榄球伤病提供了见解。我们的研究结果强调了脑震荡和上肢损伤预防策略的重要性。有必要进行进一步研究，以采用基于证据的干预措施来减轻儿童和青少年橄榄球相关伤病的负担。
