Patterns of traumatic outdoor rock-climbing injuries in Sweden between 2008 and 2019.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34628554.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1186/s40634-021-00407-1 and PMC identifier 8502181.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Injury prevalence patterns for climbers have been presented in several papers but results are heterogenous largely due to a mix of included climbing disciplines and injury mechanisms. This study describes the distribution and pattern of acute traumatic climbing injuries sustained during outdoor climbing in Sweden. Patients that experienced a climbing related traumatic injury during outdoor climbing between 2008 and 2019 and who submitted a self-reported questionnaire to the Swedish Climbing Association were included in the study. Medical records were retrieved, and the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation injury classification system was used for injury presentation. Thirty-eight patients were included in the study. Seven (18%) injuries occurred during traditional climbing, 13 (34%) during sport climbing and 9 (24%) during bouldering. Varying with climbing discipline, 84-100% injuries were caused by falls. Injuries of the foot and ankle accounted for 72-100% of the injuries. Fractures were the most common injury (60%) followed by sprains (17%) and contusions (10%). Traumatic injuries sustained during outdoor climbing in Sweden were predominantly caused by falls and affected the lower extremities in all major outdoor climbing disciplines. Rope management errors as a cause of injury were common in sport climbing and in activity surrounding the climbing, indicating there is room for injury-preventing measures.