TY - JOUR AU - Ribbans, Bill AU - Chaudhry, Shiraz AU - Goudriaan, Barry PY - 2021/08/03 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Hand trauma in English domestic professional county cricket JF - South African Journal of Sports Medicine JA - SA J Sports Med VL - 33 IS - 1 SE - Articles DO - 10.17159/2078-516X/2021/v33i1a10689 UR - https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/sajsm/article/view/10689 SP - 1-4 AB - <div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><strong>Background</strong>: Hand trauma is a frequent and disabling injury in cricket. However, there is limited published data on its impact on the sport at the elite level.</p><p><strong>Objectives</strong>: This study investigated the incidence and mechanism of hand injuries in professional cricket over a decade and the impact of these injuries upon player availability.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: A retrospective hand injury review at Northampton County Cricket Club (NCCC) over 10 years (2009-2018) was performed. All hand injuries had been contemporaneously documented. They were analysed for cause of injury, treatment, and time away from competitive play.</p><p><strong>Results</strong>: There were 45 hand injuries in total. Eleven percent needed surgical intervention. These hand injuries required a total recovery time of 1561 days, and in-season 1416 days were lost from competitive play. The injuries requiring surgery were unavailable for 229 total days during the season. A player had an annual 18% risk of sustaining a hand injury requiring time away from the sport and resulting in a 4% reduction in playing resources during a season.</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: Hand injuries have major implications for player selection during the cricket season and place a potential burden upon the entire squad and the team’s success.</p></div></div></div></div> ER -