Hand and Wrist Injuries Among Collegiate Athletes Vary with Athlete Division

Abstract Background: The rates, severity and consequences of hand and wrist injuries sustained by NCAA athletes are not well characterized. This study describes the epidemiology of hand and wrist injuries among collegiate athletes competing in different divisions. Methods: The National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) was accessed for various sports from 2004 to 2015. Data was stratified by hand and wrist injuries sustained, mean loss of activity time following the injury, male and female sport, need for surgery following injury and division. Descriptive statistics were performed to examine the association between sports, event type and gender. P < 0.05 was considered significantResults 103,098 hand and wrist injuries were reported in all NCAA sports from 2004-2015. Male athletes sustained 72,423 injuries (6.01/10,000 athlete events) and female athletes sustained 30,675 injuries (4.13/10,000 athlete events). Division I athletes sustained significantly more injuries compared to divisions II and III. Overall, 3.78% of hand and wrist injuries required surgical intervention. A significantly higher percentage of division I athletes (both male and female) underwent surgical intervention compared to divisions II and III. The mean time lost due to hand and wrist injury was 7.14 days for all athletes. Division I athletes tended to miss fewer days due to injury, though this was not significant.Conclusions Hand and wrist injuries are common among collegiate athletes. Division I athletes sustain higher rates of injuries and higher surgical intervention rates, while tending to miss fewer days due to injury. Improved characterization of divisional differences in hand and wrist injuries can assist injury management and prevention