Epidemiology of Ice Hockey Versus Roller Hockey–Related Injuries in the United States Emergency Departments 2013 to 2022

Objective: Compare injury demographics in ice hockey versus roller hockey to provide insights for safety recommendations. Design: Retrospective analysis using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Setting: National Electronic Injury Surveillance System collects data on recreational activity–related and consumer product–related injuries treated in US Emergency Departments. Patients: All patients presenting to emergency departments for ice and roller hockey–related injuries 2013 to 2022. Independent Variables: Age, sex, race, body part injured, and injury diagnosis. Main Outcome Measures: Ice hockey included product codes 1279 (“ice hockey”) and 3272 (“hockey”). Roller hockey included product codes 3245 (“street hockey”) and 5032 (“roller hockey”). Results: Injuries were most common in the 11 to 15 years age group in both ice hockey and roller hockey (38.1% and 34.2%, respectively). Men represented most patients in both ice hockey and roller hockey (88.6% and 80.1%, respectively). White race constituted approximately 56.6% and 65.3% of all cases in ice and roller hockey, respectively. The 3 most common locations for injury in ice hockey were head (20.9%), face (12.3%), and shoulder (12.1%), while for roller hockey, they were head (17.6%), face (16.6%), and ankle (8.9%). The 3 most common types of injury in ice hockey were fracture (18.7%), laceration (17.8%), and contusion (12.5%), while for roller hockey, they were fracture (18.1%), strain/sprain (16.4%), and laceration (16.3%). Conclusions: Analyzing these injury patterns informs targeted safety regulations to prevent common injuries in each sport. Adjusting face equipment benefits players in both sports. Special attention to prevent shoulder injuries in ice hockey and ankle sprains in roller hockey is warranted.