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BACKGROUND Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States. Its rules regarding permitted contact differ by sex and age. There are no known studies using a nationally representative data set to analyze lacrosse injury patterns over several years by sex and age in the youth population. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for youth aged 11-18 years who were treated for lacrosse-related injuries in U.S. emergency departments from 2000 to 2016. Based on our review of the case narratives, we created and coded a new injury-mechanism variable. We generated national estimates from 6406 cases. RESULTS An estimated 206,274 lacrosse-related injuries to youths aged 11-18 years were treated in U.S. emergency departments from 2000 to 2016. The rate of injuries per 10,000 significantly increased from 1.9 in 2000 to a peak of 5.3 in 2012 (p < 0.0001), followed by a significant decrease to 3.4 in 2016 (p = 0.020). Injury mechanism, body part injured, and diagnosis differed by sex. Boys were 1.62 times (95%CI: 1.25-2.09) more likely than girls to be injured by player-to-player contact. Girls were 2.21 times (95%CI: 1.96-2.49) more likely than boys to have non-contact injuries. Overall, as age increased, the percentage of injuries from lacrosse sticks decreased and player-to-player contact increased. CONCLUSION Despite additional protective regulations in the sport, lacrosse is an important source of injury where we continue to see differences by sex and age. This study supports the continuation, modification, and addition of rules aimed at reducing lacrosse injury risk.

Introduction: Golf cart-related injuries constitute a substantial source of morbidity, most notably in pediatric populations. Despite the high rate of injuries, there have been no meaningful changes in golf cart design or legislation to reduce the overall burden of these injuries. This study sought to characterize the epidemiology of golf cart-related injuries treated in United States hospital emergency departments. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted by using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for patients of all ages who were treated in emergency departments (EDs) (2007–2017) for a golf cart-related injury. Results: From 2007 through 2017, an estimated 156,040 (95% CI = 102,402–209,679) patients were treated in U.S. EDs for golf cart-related injuries. The average rate of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children (1.62 per 100,000 children) was more than three times that of TBIs in adults (0.52 per 100,000 adults; rate ratio = 2.38; 95% CI = 2.36–2.41) and nearly twice that of TBIs in seniors (1.11 per 100,000 seniors; rate ratio = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.19–1.22). The rate of injuries in seniors increased significantly by 67.6% from 4.81 per 100,000 seniors in 2007 to 8.06 per 100,000 seniors in 2017 (slope = 0.096; p = 0.041). Conclusions: Golf cart use remains an important source of injury for people of all ages, especially in children. As use continues to increase, it is unlikely that golf cart-related injuries will decrease without substantial changes to product design, regulation, and/or legislation. Practical Applications: Use of golf carts pose a considerable risk of injury and morbidity; safety recommendations should be followed.