Abstract

A survey was performed of all patients admitted to the Neurosurgical Division in Modena with head injuries during 1986-1991. Of 2455 head injuries, 98 (3.9%) were due to sports. The sports most commonly linked with head traumas were soccer (35.7%), horse riding (12.2%) downhill skiing (12.2%) and cycling (9.2%). Most of the patients were male (76.5%), and soccer caused 46.6% of the injuries observed in this sex. Females sustained head traumas especially during horse riding (34.7%) and downhill skiing (26.1%). The age at which most injuries occurred was 11-20 years. For men the risk of traumas was higher during games, while women were injured particularly during training. The greatest number of head injuries were "minor" (73.4% were concussions and in 23.5% there was no loss of consciousness), with mild brain damage (assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale). Only three cases were severe injuries (contusions): they occurred in horse riding (1 case) and cycling (2 cases). Except for one fatal injury in a male adult cyclist, no head traumas showed residual impairments. In prior investigations we found that soccer caused the greatest number of eye and dental-maxillo-facial traumas, especially in younger subjects. Verf.-Referat (gekuerzt)