1. Two Thumbs Down: A 10-Year Analysis of Crossbow-Related Hand and Digit Injuries in the United States.
- Author
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Oleck NC, Pyfer BJ, Morris MX, and Mithani SK
- Subjects
- Humans, Male, United States epidemiology, Retrospective Studies, Female, Adult, Middle Aged, Adolescent, Young Adult, Child, Amputation, Traumatic epidemiology, Amputation, Traumatic etiology, Fractures, Bone epidemiology, Weapons statistics & numerical data, Contusions epidemiology, Child, Preschool, Aged, Sex Distribution, Databases, Factual, Hand Injuries epidemiology, Hand Injuries etiology, Finger Injuries epidemiology, Finger Injuries etiology, Lacerations epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: Modern crossbow is a popular weapon used throughout the United States for outdoor recreation. Crossbow mechanics place the hand and digits at significant risk of injury while shooting or handling these weapons; however, injury patterns have been poorly documented. In this study, the authors use a national database to assess patterns of crossbow-related injuries of the hand and digits., Methods: A retrospective review of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was conducted to identify crossbow-related hand and digit injuries over the past 10 years. Demographic data, injury timing, anatomical injury location, specific injury diagnosis, and disposition data were collected., Results: A total of 15 460 crossbow-related hand injuries were identified between 2011 and 2021. A strong temporal relationship was identified, with 89% of injuries occurring between the months of August and December. Male patients sustained most injuries (>85%). Body areas injured were the digits (93.2%) and the hand (5.7%). The most common injuries were laceration (n = 7520, 48.6%), fracture (n = 4442, 28.7%), amputation (n = 1341, 8.7%), and contusion/abrasion (n = 957, 6.2%). More than 50% of cases involved injury to the thumb, with approximately 750 thumb amputations recorded during the time period examined., Conclusions: This study is the first to document the patterns of hand and digit injuries associated with crossbow use on a national scale. These findings have important implications for public health awareness campaigns targeting hunters and support the designation of crossbow "safety wings" as a mandatory feature of crossbow design., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
- Published
- 2024
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