Craniofacial Injuries in Rugby: A US National Database Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Rugby is a sport popular in Europe and Australia that resembles American football. A key difference between Rugby and American Football is the lack of pads or protective equipment, which increases the risk of head-to-head collisions and craniofacial injuries. Despite the in-depth research done on head and neck injuries, there is an insufficient amount of research relating to intracranial injuries in rugby. This paper aims to analyze patterns and differences in rugby-related craniofacial injuries.

Materials and methods: An analysis of rugby players who sustained facial and neck injuries, including the ear, mouth, and eyes, was performed using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) data sets from 2014 to 2023. These data sets conveyed patient information such as sex, race, weight, age, diagnosis, treatment date, body part, disposition, and injury location that occurred while playing rugby.

Results: During the study period, a total of 35,583 craniofacial injuries were estimated to occur in emergency departments across the nation. Among these cases, 27,669 (77.8%) were male, and 7914 (22.2%) were female. The 3 most common injury sites were the head (19,261 cases, 51.4%), face (13,261 cases, 35.4%), and neck (2115 cases, 5.6%). The most frequent diagnoses were lacerations (9906 cases, 25.8%), internal injuries (9543 cases, 24.9%), and concussions (8617 cases, 22.5%).

Conclusion: In 35,583 total cases, 77.8% of diagnoses were male and 22.2% were female. There has been a downward trajectory in the annual injury rate, going from 5033 cases in 2014 to 2862 cases in 2023. Most diagnoses were internal injuries, lacerations, and concussions. Prevention of and recovery from craniofacial injuries requires greater attention among rugby coaches, players, and fans. Players should be given more time to recover and should consider wearing protective equipment to minimize injury. In addition, youth and amateur players would benefit from targeted education on proper tackling techniques and injury prevention strategies, addressing the heightened vulnerability in younger demographics due to lack of experience and developmental factors.

Keywords: Athlete; NEISS; USA; contact sports; craniofacial injuries; football; national electronic injury surveillance system; rugby; sports.