The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2021 Feb 08

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.21.11675-5

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

National electronic injury surveillance system sports-related arm fractures in the United States: thrower’s fractures

Alexander YU ¹ ✉, Cory F. JANNEY ², Vinod K. PANCHBHAVI ¹, Daniel C. JUPITER ^{1, 3}

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; ² Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; ³ Department of Preventive Medicine and Population Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

BACKGROUND: Humerus fractures are common in the United States. The purpose of this study was to utilize the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (1) to compare overall and age stratified incidence rates of proximal and distal arm fractures presenting to United States emergency departments, (2) to compare relative humerus fracture locations by age, and (3) to compare anatomical humerus fracture locations stratified by sports between 2005-2009 and 2015-2019.
METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was used to obtain estimated proximal and distal arm fractures between 2005-2009 and 2015-2019. Fracture rates were normalized using United States census estimates and stratified by age. Case summaries were filtered for anatomical and non-specific (proximal, middle, distal third) humerus fractures. Relative humerus fractures, inclusive of anatomical and non-specific fractures, were stratified by age and compared between 2005-2009 and 2015-2019. Anatomical fractures were stratified by sports. Chi-squared tests was used to compare fracture rates between time periods.
RESULTS: There was a decrease (p<.0001) in proximal and distal arm fracture rates and a difference (p<.0001) in fracture rates with respect to age between 2005-2009 and 2015-2019. There was a significant difference in reported relative humeral fractures (p<.0001) between the two periods. Impact related sports trauma accounted for most fracture cases for both periods. Non-impact related sports trauma consisted entirely of thrower’s fractures.
CONCLUSIONS: United States proximal and distal arm fracture rates decreased, and distributions differed by age between 2005-2009 and 2015-2019. Relative humerus fractures differed by time periods. One major non-impact sports related humerus fracture was extreme external rotational torque from throwing.

KEY WORDS: NEISS; Thrower’s; Fractures