INCIDENCE OF INJURIES AT AN EXTREME SPORTS CAMP:

2055 The incidence and nature of injuries incurred by BMX stunt bikers, in-line skaters, and skateboarders during an extreme sport summer camp has not been studied to date. Three thousand six hundred and seventy-eight athletes, 3613 males and 65 females, attended the 4th-12th weeks of a 14 week 1998 camp. The athletes arrived on Sunday for orientation and placement testing and departed on Saturday. Participation by sport was 609 BMX (17%), 1735 in-line (47%), and 1334 skateboard (36%). Injury data were collected from the training room evaluation forms and the emergency transportation log. Campers suffered 554 sports related injuries. Injuries by sport was 105 BMX (19.0%), 275 inline (49.6%), and 174 skateboard (31.4%). One hundred and ninety-eight (35.7%) of the athletes were determined to need evaluation or care of a physician, and 113 (20.4%) were transported directly to the physician or emergency room for evaluation. Injuries by physician diagnosis revealed 95 fractures/possible fractures (48.0%), 31 lacerations (15.7%), 27 sprains/strains (13.6%), 20 contusions (10.1%), 13 closed head injuries (6.6%), and 14 other (7.1%). Two participants had multiple physician diagnoses. The remaining 356 athletes' injuries were classified according to the trainer's impression with 151 sprains/strains (42.4%), 144 contusions (40.4%), 26 possible fractures (7.3%), 11 closed head injuries (3.1%), and 24 other (6.7%). Injuries according to body region were 232 upper extremity injuries (41.9%), 210 lower extremity injuries (37.9%), 121 head and trunk injuries (21.8%), and 2 unknown (