%0 Journal Article
%T Protective and risk factors in amateur equestrians and description of injury patterns: A retrospective data analysis and a case - control survey
%A Rebecca M Hasler
%A Lena Gyssler
%A Lorin Benneker
%A Luca Martinolli
%A Andreas Sch£¿tzau
%A Heinz Zimmermann
%A Aristomenis K Exadaktylos
%J Journal of Trauma Management & Outcomes
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1752-2897-5-4
%X To analyse injury patterns, protective factors, and risk factors related to horse riding, and to define groups of safer riders and those at greater riskWe present a retrospective and a case-control survey at conducted a tertiary trauma centre in Bern, Switzerland.Injured equestrians from July 2000 - June 2006 were retrospectively classified by injury pattern and neurological symptoms. Injured equestrians from July-December 2008 were prospectively collected using a questionnaire with 17 variables. The same questionnaire was applied in non-injured controls. Multiple logistic regression was performed, and combined risk factors were calculated using inference trees.A total of 528 injuries occured in 365 patients. The injury pattern revealed as follows: extremities (32%: upper 17%, lower 15%), head (24%), spine (14%), thorax (9%), face (9%), pelvis (7%) and abdomen (2%). Two injuries were fatal. One case resulted in quadriplegia, one in paraplegia.61 patients and 102 controls (patients: 72% female, 28% male; controls: 63% female, 37% male) were included. Falls were most frequent (65%), followed by horse kicks (19%) and horse bites (2%). Variables statistically significant for the controls were: Older age (p = 0.015), male gender (p = 0.04) and holding a diploma in horse riding (p = 0.004). Inference trees revealed typical groups less and more likely to suffer injury.Experience with riding and having passed a diploma in horse riding seem to be protective factors. Educational levels and injury risk should be graded within an educational level-injury risk index.The role of horses in society has completely changed. Once considered as working animals and as a means of transport animals, horses are nowadays used primarily for leisure and sports activities, at least in the Western World [1-3].Today, in Switzerland there are an estimated 150,000 equestrians (2% in a population of 7.2 million), and more than 65,000 belong to equestrian and country clubs - about 3-4 times more tha
%U http://www.traumamanagement.org/content/5/1/4