Sports injuries in the emergency department: an observational study with a gender perspective

Dublin Core

Title

Sports injuries in the emergency department: an observational study with a gender perspective

Subject

Sports, Injury type, Injury location, Sex-difference, Emergency room

Description

Abstract
Introduction Sports injuries are a significant concern in emergency departments and affect both amateur and
professional athletes. With the increase in women’s participation in sports, it is crucial to understand sex-specific
injury characteristics, as patterns observed in men may not apply to women. This observational, descriptive and
retrospective study aims to analyze sex differences in sports injuries to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
strategies. Our hypothesis is that sports injury patterns differ between sexes.
Methods Patients treated for sports injuries between 2020 and 2023 in the Emergency Department at our hospital
were included in the study. Researchers collected data on demographics, sports practiced, types of injuries, and initial
treatment, utilizing descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test for continuous variables, Fisher’s exact test for categorical
variables, and variable correlation for data analysis.
Results A total of 977 patients were included in the study, 82% of whom were men. Significant differences
were observed regarding the sport practiced (p<0.001) and the type of injury (p=0.02) between the groups. No
differences were observed in injury location or the percentage of patients receiving each treatment modality. Specific
correlations were also conducted between sports, type of injury, and location. Contusions, ligamentous injuries and
dislocations were associated with specific sports and/or locations in men and women. Ligamentous injuries were
observed in both sexes predominantly in the ankle and knee.
Conclusion Increasing sports participation offers health benefits but also increases the risk of injuries. Our study
aimed to investigate whether sports injury patterns differ between sexes. The results support this hypothesis,
highlighting significant sex differences in injury patterns.
Keywords Sports, Injury type, Injury location, Sex-difference, Emergency room

Creator

Sandra Mallorquín1* , Luis Martínez-Sañudo1,2 , Maribel González-Riveiro1,2 , Mireia Viñas-Noguera1 ,
Maria del Mar Pizà-Serra1 and Xavier Pelfort-López1

Source

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-025-00897-1

Date

2025

Contributor

Peri Irawan

Format

pdf

Language

english

Type

text

Files

Citation

Sandra Mallorquín1* , Luis Martínez-Sañudo1,2 , Maribel González-Riveiro1,2 , Mireia Viñas-Noguera1 , Maria del Mar Pizà-Serra1 and Xavier Pelfort-López1, “Sports injuries in the emergency department: an observational study with a gender perspective,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 13, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/12800.