Fencing Injuries Treated In US Emergency Departments

Fencing has sustained popularity among US athletes of all ages and a significant international presence. It is important to evaluate injuries sustained by fencers, an athlete population left largely unstudied in the present sports medicine literature. PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of injuries of fencers presenting to the emergency department (ED) from 2013-2022, along with analyzing demographic trends, gender and age group disparities, and the most frequent injury patterns. METHODS: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried in January 2024 using the product code, 3260 - Fencing (activity/apparel/equipment). Variables included injury type, age, race, body part injured, primary and secondary diagnosis, and discharge disposition. Narrative descriptions were used to elucidate mechanisms of injury and re-classify patients with primary diagnosis of “Other”. Statistical tests were performed using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS v29. RESULTS: From 2013-2022, 110 fencers presented to emergency departments. Most fencing injuries occurred in those 11-15 years old, followed by 16-20 years. More males than females experienced fencing injuries (59% v. 40.9%) (p < 0.05) and most patients were Caucasian (47.3%) (p < 0.001). Most injuries were to the finger (14.5%) and hand (8.2%) followed by the wrist (7.3%), then the head (7.3%). The most common injury was strain/sprain followed by laceration. Females had a higher fracture incidence than males (13.3% v. 9.2%) (p = 0.03). Males had a higher laceration incidence (21.50% v. 8.9%) (p < 0.001). Fencing injury incidence decreased during this period. The NEISS national estimate of total number of fencing-related injuries in US EDs during this period was 3402. CONCLUSIONS: Fencers experience significant injuries. In this study, most patients were teenagers, suggesting that research focus should be directed toward younger athletes and how to reduce fencing-related trauma. Gender disparities in injury patterns warrant additional inquiry. The decrease in overall injury incidence demonstrates that the preventative measures made by the sport over the past 9 years have made a positive impact.