Serious injuries suffered by teenagers during rubgy matches are as worse as those seen in car crashes, doctors have warned.
Writing in the journal BMJ Case Reports, doctors described the injuries suffered by three teen rugby players who are 13 to 16 years old and said that they have never encountered injuries like these in a teen sporting population.
The comments come after more than 70 health experts wrote to the UK government calling to ban full-contact sports in schools that involve tackling. They said that the rules around tackling may need to be changed or the number of players in school games decreased to stop potentially devastating result of these injuries.
"In order to prevent the potentially devastating consequences of these injuries it may be necessary to implement rule changes or size restrictions in the juvenile game," the doctors said.
According to doctors at the National Children's Hospital in Dublin, they have seen three teens in the past few years with pelvic fractures which are usually seen after a violent trauma from vehicular accidents. Most of these accidents occurred when a smaller boy was hit by a speeding larger player.
Players may be of the same age but their body size is different. Evaluation of the rules should be done and they should emphasize the importance of proper tackling to prevent serious injuries especially among teens with immature and developing skeletons.
All three boys recovered following surgery without major complications but these type of injuries can have a possible negative impact on growth, lifestyle and sporting participation of young teens.
"These injuries are generally sustained after violent trauma, such as road traffic accidents," said Dr. David Morrissey, of the Department of Trauma and Orthopoedics at National Children's Hospital, Dublin.
What Are Acetabular Fractures?
Acetabular or acetabulum fractures occur usually in young adults as a result of high-velocity trauma and are associated with other life-threatening injuries. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery, these fractures are among the most serious injuries treated by orthopedic surgeons.
It usually occurs as a result of traumatic accidents like motor vehicle accidents and fall. Acetabular fractures usually need urgent medical attention and one or more surgical procedures.
Photo: K.M. Klemencic | Flickr
