acute injury

Key Take Aways

✅ The overwhelming majority of injuries in this study were foot/ankle injuries due to falls

✅ 37% of injuries were considered major, which was much higher than 2 other studies (12.7% and 18.6%)

✅ Rope management errors by belayer accounted for 31% of injuries in sport climbing, adherence to basic belayer safety protocols would have likely reduced the risk of traumatic injury

Population

Outdoor climbers

Summary

A Swedish study in published in 2021 reviewed outdoor climbing injuries between 2008 and 2019

👉Injury Location
66% Foot/ankle
11% Trunk/ pelvis
5% Upper Extremity

👉Injury Type
60% Fractures
17% Sprains
10% Contusions

👉Injury by Discipline
34% Sport Climbing
24% Bouldering
18% Trad Climbing

👉In Sport Climbing
84% injuries from falling
76% Foot/ankle injuries
31% Rope management/belayer error

👉In Bouldering
89% injuries from falling
100% Foot/ ankle injuries

👉In Trad Climbing
100% injuries from fall
76% Foot/ankle injuries

CItation

Identeg, F., Orava, E., Sansone, M. et al. Patterns of traumatic outdoor rock-climbing injuries in Sweden between 2008 and 2019. J EXP ORTOP 8, 89 (2021)

Link

https://jeo-esska.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40634-021-00407-1