Dataset Information

Game Spacing and Density in Relation to the Risk of Injuries in the National Hockey League.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ice hockey has significant workload demands. Research of other sports has suggested that decreased rest between games as well as an increased workload may increase the risk of injuries.

Purpose

To evaluate whether condensed game schedules increase the frequency and severity of injuries in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Study design

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods

Data were obtained from publicly available online sources on game schedules and injuries for all NHL teams for the 2005-2006 through 2018-2019 seasons. Injury rates (per team per game) and the proportion of severe and nonsevere injuries were determined. The game-spacing analysis assessed the risk of injuries in relation to the number of days between games played (range, 0-≥6 days). The game-density analysis assessed the risk of injuries in relation to the number of games played within 7 days (range, 1-5 games). Results were assessed by analysis of variance, the post hoc Tukey test, and the chi-square test of distribution.

Results

The game-spacing analysis included 33,170 games and 7224 injuries, and a significant group difference was found (P = 1.44×10^-5), with the post hoc test demonstrating an increased risk of injuries when games were spaced with <1 day of rest. There was no significant difference in the ratio of severe to nonsevere injuries. The game-density analysis included 33,592 games and 10,752 injuries, and a significant group difference was found (P = 8.22×10^-48), demonstrating an increased risk of injuries with an increased number of games in all conditions except for the comparison between 4 versus 5 games in 7 days. There was also a significant difference in injury severity (P = .008), indicating that the least dense condition had a higher ratio of severe to nonsevere injuries compared with the other game-density conditions. Finally, the game-density analysis was repeated after excluding games played with <1 day of rest, and the finding of increased injury rates with increasingly condensed schedules remained significant (P = 9.52×10^-46), with significant differences between all groups except for the comparison between 1 versus 2 games in 7 days.

Conclusion

We found that a condensed schedule and <1 day of rest between games were associated with an increased rate of injuries in the NHL. These findings may help in the design of future game schedules.

SUBMITTER: Blond BN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8058808 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:CONTEXT:Postconcussion deficits in neurocognitive performance and postural control may persist at the time of return to sport participation. How these deficits, if present, affect athletic performance is largely unknown, with prior studies showing mixed results. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate postconcussion National Hockey League player performance using advanced hockey metrics over short- (5 games), medium- (10 games), and long-term (remainder of the season) seasonal performance. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:National Hockey League players who sustained a sport-related concussion (SRC; n = 93) and returned during the same season and players (n = 51) who missed time for non-injury-related reasons. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):Six performance metrics were used: (1) points per 60 minutes, (2) Corsi percentage, (3) personal Fenwick shooting percentage, (4) scoring chances per 60 minutes, (5) penalty difference, and (6) PDO (not an acronym but sometimes referred to as SVSP% [save percentage shooting percentage]). Performance was compared using 2 (group) × 2 (time) repeated-measures analyses of variance for 3 time windows: (1) ±5 games, (2) ±10 games, and (3) the remainder of the season postconcussion. Alpha values were set at a conservative .01 to account for the lack of independence among dependent variables. RESULTS:No significant interactions were present for any of the 6 dependent variables at any of the 3 time windows. Overall, none of the secondary variables differed. CONCLUSIONS:Using advanced, sport-specific metrics, we found that National Hockey League players did not display worse seasonal performance during 3 postinjury time frames after they sustained an SRC. Whereas laboratory studies have identified lingering neurologic deficits after concussion, our results suggest that these deficits, if present, either do not translate to worse athletic performance or were not captured by these 44 metrics. Further, prospective efforts are needed to accurately quantify performance after SRC among professional hockey players.

Project description:BackgroundOs styloideum describes an accessory carpal ossicle between the trapezoid, the capitate, and the second and third metacarpals. Injuries to this tissue have been described as part of the carpal boss syndrome. While the etiology of os styloideum remains uncertain, it may represent a physiologic response to altered loading forces in the wrist, similar to the development of cam-type deformity in the hips of ice hockey players or the Bennett lesion in the shoulders of baseball pitchers.HypothesisProfessional hockey players will have a higher prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population.Study designCase series.Level of evidenceLevel 4.MethodsA retrospective review of 16 professional hockey players from 4 different National Hockey League (NHL) teams who underwent unilateral imaging of the wrist was performed. Seventeen wrists were reviewed for the presence of os styloideum.ResultsThirteen of 16 players (81%) had an os styloideum, representing an increased prevalence compared with the general population. Previous clinical and cadaveric studies estimated a general prevalence of up to 19% ( P < 0.001). For the 10 players who had their leading wrist scanned, 9 had an os styloideum (90%). Ten of 11 (91%) players demonstrated a bone marrow edema pattern within the metacarpal and the os styloideum on magnetic resonance imaging. There was no significant association between the presence of an os styloideum and the player's position, leading wrist, or years in the league.ConclusionThere appears to be an increased prevalence of os styloideum among NHL players, and team physicians should consider this finding while formulating a differential diagnosis for dorsal wrist pain.Clinical relevanceThis study identified NHL players as having an increased prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. By doing so, these findings represent an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the etiology, clinical significance, and treatment of os styloideum.