A new study examines the head and neck injury risk among athletes participating in extreme sports, according to an AAOS news release.
Researchers examined the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 2000 to 2011 for seven popular sports in the Winter and Summer X-Games. There were 4 million injuries reported for extreme sports participants and 11.3 percent were head and neck injuries. Among those who had head and neck injuries, 83 percent were head injuries and 17 percent were neck injuries.
The sports with the highest head and neck injuries were:
• Skateboarding
• Snowboarding
• Skiing
• Motocross
Concussions were the most common head and neck injuries and surfers had the highest risk of neck fracture. The incidence of head and neck injuries for extreme sports athletes increased from 34,065 in 2000 to 40,042 in 2010.
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