Abstract

The present investigation analyses 2493 patients with a sports injury treated in a casualty department during a one-year period. Of the patients 73 were men, the age of the patients averaging 26 years and the mean follow-up time was 24 months. Soccer and indoor ball games caused 24 and 23 of the injuries respectively, these being followed by injuries in ice hockey in 14 . Track and field injuries scored low with 2 out of all injuries. Injuries to the lower extremity predominated. At follow-up, ligementous injuries of the lower extremity were the major cause of discomfort. Further, in the group of patients with persistent discomfort 36 had suffered a fracture or a dislocation, 13 a contusion and 10 a wound. The mean period of sports incapacity after a sustained injury was 3 weeks. In track and field events the injury seldom disturbed training for more than one week, but in soccer, indoor ball games, skiing and skating the mean sports incapacity period varied between 6 and 3 weeks. Out of the total injured, 2 had to give up their sports activity completely. An injury of the lower extremity demanded on average 4 weeks rest, an injury of the upper extremity and the trunk 2 weeks and injuries of the head and neck one weeks rest. According to the present investigation sports injuries were in the majority of cases of a relatively benign nature and sick leave from work seldom exceeded 2 weeks. Verf.-Referat