Incidence Of Injuries Among Team Usa Athletes Competing In The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games

PURPOSE: To characterize the injuries that occurred among Team USA athletes competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games. METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records for all medical encounters of Team USA athletes competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games (February 26 - March 16, 2022) was conducted. All encounters were reviewed by the research team to identify new injuries that occurred during the Paralympic Games based on the guidelines outlined by the 2020 International Olympic Committee. Injuries were categorized using the Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System. Details of the athlete (sex) and injury (anatomic location) were examined and injury proportions (IP), and incidence rates (IR) with 95% confidence intervals per 1000 athlete days (AD) were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 63 US athletes (male, n = 49 male; female, n = 14) who competed in the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, 21 presented for evaluation of a new injury (IP, 33.3%). The overall IR was 29.1 [95% CI; 18.7, 39.5] per 1000 AD with similar rates in males (30.6%; IR, 29.1 [17.2, 41.0]) and females (42.9%; IR, 28.9 [7.5, 50.4]). Injuries to the upper limb (15.9%; IR, 9.7 [3.7, 15.7]) and lower limb (12.7%; IR, 9.7 [3.7, 15.7]) accounted for the highest injury rates followed by injuries to the torso (6.3%; IR, 4.8 [0.6, 9.1]). The specific anatomic locations with the highest rates of injury were the shoulder (7.9%; IR, 4.8 [0.6, 9.1]), ankle (4.8%; IR, 4.8 [0.6, 9.1]), and lower leg (4.8%; IR, 2.9 [-0.4, 6.2]). The sports with the highest injury rates were alpine skiing (52.9%; IR, 59.6 [28.4, 90.8]), snowboarding (33.3%; IR, 32.1 [6.4, 57.8]), and sled hockey (17.6%; IR, 13.8 [0.3, 27.4]). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of injuries that occurred among Team USA Paralympic athletes competing at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games revealed that one-third (33.3%) sustained an injury. Injuries occurred most frequently in the upper and lower limbs and alpine skiers were the most injured athletes with more than 50% of alpine skiers sustaining an injury. Continued surveillance in elite Paralympic winter sport athletes is important for the identification of factors associated with increased risk of injury as well as the implementation of effective prevention strategies.