Epidemiological Characteristics of Hospitalized Sports-Related Ocular Trauma in China: China Ocular Trauma Study (COTS)

BACKGROUND: Sports-related ocular trauma is a significant cause of unilateral visual impairment and blindness, yet large-scale epidemiological studies on hospitalized cases are lacking. The aim of this study is to analyze the epidemiological characteristics, injury mechanisms, and visual outcomes of sports-related ocular trauma in China, and provide evidence for developing prevention strategies. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from hospitalized patients with sports-related ocular trauma from 99 medical institutions registered in the "China Ocular Trauma Registry System" (COTS) between 2021 and 2024. Demographic characteristics, sports types, ocular injuries, and visual acuity were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Sports-related injuries constituted 3.60% (386 of 10710) of all ocular trauma patients. Patients were predominantly male (290 cases, 75.13%), with a trend towards youth aged 10-20 years accounting for over one-third of the total. Seasonally, ocular trauma most frequently occurred in spring, peaking in May (17.36%). Badminton was the first causative sport (127 cases, 48.47%), followed by soccer (41 cases, 15.65%), racket impact (13 cases, 4.96%), basketball (12 cases, 4.58%), volleyball (12 cases, 4.58%), and human contact injuries (11 cases, 4.20%). Closed ocular trauma was predominant injury (74.09%), with contusions comprising the majority. Despite the relatively lower incidence (16.58%), open ocular trauma was significantly associated with activities such as racket impact, boxing, and glasses fragments. Regarding the severity of visual impairment, badminton and soccer resulted in mild visual impairment, whereas basketball, glasses fragments and dumbbells were more likely to cause vision loss. CONCLUSION: Sports-related ocular trauma in China exhibits distinct characteristics in terms of sport type distribution. Protective eyewear in high-risk sports and safety education are recommended to lower the incidence and severity of ocular trauma.