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A Prospective Study of Kitesurfing Injuries

Christoph Nickel, MD^*, Oliver Zernial, MD, Volker Musahl, MD, Ute Hansen, MD, Thore Zantop, MD^|| and Wolf Petersen, MD^||,¶

From ^* Klinikum Elmshorn, Elmshorn, Germany, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Kiel, Germany, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Kiel, Germany, and the ^|| Department of Trauma, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany

^¶ Address correspondence to Wolf Petersen, Department of Trauma, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany (e-mail: Wolf.Petersen{at}ukmuenster.de).

Background: To date, the pattern and rate of kitesurfing injuries are largely unclear.

Hypothesis: The pattern and rate of kitesurfing injuries are comparable to that of contact sports such as football and soccer.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Methods: The study was conducted over a 6-month period of 1 season and included 235 kitesurfers.

Results: The number of self-reported injuries was 124, for an overall self-reported injury rate of 7 per 1000 hours of practice. One fatal accident (polytrauma) and 11 severe injuries occurred during the study period (2 knee ligament injuries and 9 fractures at various sites). The most commonly injured sites were the foot and ankle (28%), skull (14%), chest (13%), and knee (13%). Fifty-six percent of the injuries were attributed to the inability to detach the kite from the harness in a situation involving loss of control over the kite. There was a tendency for athletes using a quick-release system to sustain fewer injuries than athletes without such a release system.

Conclusion: Kitesurfing can be considered a high-risk sport.

Clinical Relevance: The use of a quick-release system that enables the surfers to detach the kite in case of an accident might aid in the prevention of injuries.

Key Words: kitesurfing • injury mechanism • polytrauma • prevention • knee

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