Do helmets worn for hurling fail to protect the ear? Identification of an emerging injury pattern.
Authors
Martin-Smith, James DChan, Jeffery C Y
Power, Kieran T
Crowley, Paddy J
Clover, Anthony James P
Affiliation
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland. jmartins@tcd.ieIssue Date
2012-12MeSH
AdolescentAdult
Athletic Injuries
Ear, External
Head Protective Devices
Humans
Lacerations
Male
Retrospective Studies
Sports Equipment
Track and Field
Young Adult
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Do helmets worn for hurling fail to protect the ear? Identification of an emerging injury pattern. 2012, 46 (16):1134-6 Br J Sports MedJournal
British journal of sports medicineDOI
10.1136/bjsports-2012-091280PubMed ID
22976908Abstract
Hurling is an Irish national game of stick and ball known for its ferocity, played by 190 000 players. Facial injuries were common but have been significantly reduced by legislation enforcing compulsory helmet wearing. Current standard helmets worn by hurlers do not offer protection to the external ear. Here we describe an emerging pattern of ear injuries and demonstrate the risk of external ear injuries in hurlers complying with current helmet safety standards. A 6-month retrospective analysis was carried out of patients attending Cork University Hospital (CUH) with ear lacerations sustained while hurling. Patient notes were reviewed and helmet manufacturers were interviewed. Seven patients were identified, all of whom sustained complex through ear lacerations while wearing helmets complying with current safety standards. Current helmet design fails to protect the external ear placing it at an increased risk of injury, a potential solution is to include ear protection in the helmet design.Item Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
1473-0480ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1136/bjsports-2012-091280
Scopus Count
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