Abstract

P 292

Sports-related ocular trauma

Helena Skacej, Tomaž Gracner, Dušica Pahor
Department of Ophthtalmology, University Hospital Maribor, Maribor, Slowenien

Background and Purpose
There are many chances to get hurt during sports. Among these injuries ocular trauma represents an important group. The purpose of this study was therefore to analyze the characteristics of sport-related eye injuries.
Methods
A retrospective study was designed which comprised all patients from January 2004 to December 2008 who suffered a globe injury while actively participating in a sport activity. The injuries were classified according to the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology.
Results
Out of 930 ocular trauma patients 87 (9%) had sport-related eye injury. All these injuries were contusions. 57 % of patients with sport-related eye injuries were admitted to the hospital, 43 % were treated in an ambulatory setting. More than half of the patients were younger than 31 years and 88 % were males. Soccer was by far the most common sport associated with ocular trauma (43 %). It was followed by badminton (9 %) and tennis (9 %), the leading injury mechanism in all cases being a ball impact. The most frequent clinical finding was hyphema, which was observed in 57 % of patients. Posterior segment injuries occured in 40 %. The vast majority of patients reqired conservative treatment. 5 % of them underwent surgical intervention. At the admission to the hospital, 70 % of patients had visual acuity equal or higher than 0,5, and at discharge the percentage of patients in this group increased to 96 %.
Conclusions
Patient education and use of appropriate protective devices are very important in lowering the number of sport related-ocular trauma. Numerous of these injuries are so preventable.

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