Abstract

Recreational sports injuries are expensive to society. Prevention of such injuries must be a major public health goal. In a previous retrospective study, base sliding was found to be responsible for 71 of recreational softball injuries. Because most injuries occurred during rapid deceleration against stationary bases, quick-release (breack-away) bases were evaluated as a means to modify this mechanism of injury. In a prospective study, 633 softball games were played on break-away base fields and 627 games were played on stationary base fields. Forty-five sliding injuries occurred on the stationary base diamonds (1 injury for every 13.9 games) and only two sliding injuries occurred on the break-away fields (1 injury for every 316.5 games). The medical costs for injuries on the stationary base fields was 79 times greater than that on the break-away fields. In a 1035 game follow-up study performed on all fields equipped with break-away bases, two sliding injuries occurred (1 injury for every 517.5 games). Installing break-away bases in fields used by recreational leagues would achieve a significant reduction of serious softball injuries (98) and, therefore, should be mandatory. Based on our findings, the Center for Disease Control has estimated 1.7 million injuries would be prevented nationally per year, saving 2.0 billion per year nationally in acute medical care costs. Verf.-Referat