Characteristics and treatment of snow sports injuries in Zhangjiakou Zone of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To characterize the injuries suffered by athletes in snow events other than alpine skiing in the Zhangjiakou Zone of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, in order to provide insights for prevention of sports injuries and preparation of large-scale winter sports events.Methods:The medical records were retrospectively collected of all athletes who had been treated at Beijing University Third Hospital Chongli within the closed loop of the Zhangjiakou Zone during the Winter Olympics and Paralympics (from November 21, 2021 to April 5, 2022). The incidence, severity and part of the injuries were analyzed, as well as the medical treatment process.Results:In the Zhangjiakou Zone, a total of 1,188 athletes participated in the Winter Olympic Games, with an injury incidence of 2.9% (34/1,188), while 420 ones participated in the Winter Paralympic Games, with an injury incidence of 1.7% (7/420). The average daily medical visits were the highest during the Winter Olympics phase (1.16 visits per day), and their emergency severity index (ESI) ranged from level 3 to level 4. The department of orthopedics was visited the most (92.7%, 38/41). Lower limb injuries accounted for the highest proportion (53.7%, 22/41), with the knee ones accounting for 36.6% (15/41) of all injuries. Most of the athletes with ESI level 3 received splint fixation (62.5%, 5/8), while those with ESI level 4 mostly received observation and follow-up (57.6%, 19/33). A total of 57 radiological examinations were performed in the 41 athletes. X-ray was used the most frequently on a single day (5.00 times) while magnetic resonance imaging was per day on average (0.16 times). The transfer time for the athletes injured was (27.4±8.8) min which was not influenced by the 4 weather conditions (cloudy, sunny, light snow, and cloudy) ( P=0.374). Conclusions:The incidence of injuries during the Beijing Winter Olympics in the Zhangjiakou Zone was lower than that in other areas of the Beijing Winter Olympics and in previous Winter Olympics. There were no serious life-threatening cases. The imaging examination resources and transfer speed in the Zhangjiakou Zone were able to meet the medical needs of athletes at all stages of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Athletes should pay attention to protection of their lower limbs during skiing competitions.