Thematic Issue

The Injury Experience at the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games

Webborn, Nick MBBS^*,†; Willick, Stuart MD^‡; Emery, Carolyn A. PT, PhD^§,¶,‖

^*Centre for Sport Research, Chelsea School of Sport, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, England, United Kingdom

^†The British Paralympic Association, London, England, United Kingdom

^‡Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orthopedic Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

^§Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology

^¶Department of Community Health Sciences and Pediatrics

^‖Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child & Maternal Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Corresponding Author: Nick Webborn, MBBS, FSEM(UK), FACSM, Centre for Sport Research, Chelsea School of Sport, University of Brighton, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom ([email protected]).

Presented at the IOC World Congress on the Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport; April 8, 2011; Monaco, France.

The authors received no operating grant funding for this research project. N. Webborn and S. Willick received travel expenses from the International Paralympic Committee for their responsibilities at the Games.

C. A. Emery is funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Population Health Investigator Award, and a professorship in Pediatric Rehabilitation funded by the Children's Hospital Foundation through the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health.

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Received October 18, 2011

Accepted November 21, 2011

Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 22(1):p 3-9, January 2012. | DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e318243309f

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine incidence proportion and the characteristics of athlete injuries sustained during the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games.

Design

Descriptive epidemiological study.

Setting

All medical venues at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games, Canada.

Participants

A total of 505 athletes from 44 National Paralympic Committees participating in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympic Games.

Assessment of Risk Factors

Baseline covariates included sport specificity (ie, ice sledge hockey, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, wheelchair curling), gender, age, and disability classification.

Main Outcome Measures

All injuries that occurred during the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games. “Injury” was defined as any sport-related musculoskeletal complaint that caused the athlete to seek medical attention during the study period, regardless of the athlete's ability to continue with training or competition.

Results

The Injury Surveillance System identified a total of 120 injuries among 505 athletes [incidence proportion = 23.8% (95% confidence interval, 20.11-27.7)] participating in the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games. There was a similar injury incidence proportion among male (22.8%) and female (26.6%) athletes [incidence rate ratio = 1.1 (95% confidence interval, 0.7-1.7)]. Medical encounters for musculoskeletal complaints were generated in 34% of all sledge hockey athletes, 22% of alpine ski racers, 19% of Nordic skiers, and 18% of wheelchair curling athletes.

Conclusions

The Injury Surveillance System identified sport injuries in 24% of all athletes participating in the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games. The injury risk was significantly higher than during the 2002 (9.4%) and 2006 (8.4%) Winter Paralympic Games. This may reflect improved data collection systems but also highlights the high risk of acute injury in alpine skiing and ice sledge hockey at Paralympic Games. These data will assist future Organizing Committees with the delivery of medical care to athletes with a disability and guide future injury prevention research.

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The Injury Experience at the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games