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Serious Baseball Injuries Occur Rarely But Can Be
Severe
It's as American as apple pie - baseball has long
been considered the nation's favorite sports pasttime. About 40 million
recreational athletes, 450,000 high school students, and 22,000 college students
play baseball each year. Like any sports activity,
there's a risk of injury if
your child plays baseball, and it's not just limited to shoulder and overuse
injuries. Researchers examined the incidence of catastrophic injuries that
occurred in high school and college baseball players.
From 1982 to 2002, 41 catastrophic baseball
injuries were reported to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury
Research, an organization that tracks the incidence of serious sports injuries
in the United States. The types of catastrophic baseball injuries that were
examined in the study included:
- commotio cordis, which occurs when a player
receives a blunt blow to the chest that causes heart rhythm irregularities
which can result in sudden death
- injuries from sliding into a base
- ball-related head and neck injuries from being
hit with a batted or thrown ball
- collisions
Overall, there were about two catastrophic baseball
injuries reported each year, which averaged out to less than one injury per
100,000 baseball players. A greater number of injuries occurred in high school
players, but there was a higher rate of injuries among collegiate baseball
players.
The most common types of injury occurred when
fielders collided or when base runners and fielders collided. Other catastrophic
injuries occurred when pitchers were hit by a batted ball and when athletes were
hit by a thrown ball. Out of the 41 catastrophic injuries, 23 players had severe
head injuries, eight players had injuries to the upper part of the spine, three
players experienced commotio cordis, and two players had injuries that caused a
collapsed trachea (windpipe) and facial injuries. One in four of the baseball
players died from catastrophic injuries.
What This Means to You: According
to the results of this study, catastrophic baseball injuries are rare, but may
cause serious impairment or even death. Proper practice, training, and use of
protective equipment may help to prevent baseball injuries. Here are some tips
to help your ball player prevent injuries on the field:
- When an outfielder and infielder are heading for
the same ball, the outfielder should call off the infielder. If two infielders
are vying for a ball, the pitcher should make the call as to who gets
it.
- Base runners should avoid the fielder, who has
the right to the base path.
- Make sure your child's coach uses all of the
safety equipment (including helmets, face masks, and chest protectors)
suggested by the school or baseball or softball league.
Source: Barry P. Boden, MD; Robin Tacchetti, MS,
PT; Fred O. Mueller, PhD; American Journal of Sports Medicine, August
2004
Reviewed by: Steven
Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: September
2004