Injuries and Medical Conditions Among Kayakers Paddling in the Sea Environment

Common Injuries in Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking, Canoeing, and Stand-Up Paddle Boarding

Paddle sports continue to be popular forms of outdoor recreation in the United States and around the world. This includes not only the more traditional sports of rafting, kayaking, and canoeing but also the newer and growing sport of stand-up paddle boarding. Because these sports are based in an aquatic environment, and frequently whitewater, there are unique, significant risks of injury. Overall, injuries in paddling sports are mostly musculoskeletal and are both acute and chronic in nature. Some injuries, such as environmental and head injuries, are especially problematic because they can lead to serious morbidity and mortality, most importantly drowning. This review describes the epidemiology, type, and location of injuries across paddle sports. It not only focuses on whitewater injuries but also includes information on injuries sustained in other aquatic paddling environments.

Pediatric and adolescent injury in aquatic adventure sports

Drowning is a leading cause of death in children. Each year there are thousands of injuries in children, some fatal, associated with aquatic adventure sports. Personal water craft rapidly accelerate children to high velocities, as does being towed behind boats on skis or tubes, whereupon children have no control of their speed or direction. Canoeing and white-water kayaking particularly stress the upper limbs and shoulder dislocations are a primary concern. Surfing and kite-surfing generate more injuries to the head and face than other parts of the body and, in scuba diving, children most frequently injure their ears due to the acute pressure changes experienced. Aquatic injuries cost more in children than in adults and residual functional deficits may last a lifetime. There is a pressing need for research into the prevalence and incidence of aquatic injuries in children, so the effectiveness of preventive interventions can be determined.

Shoulder Injuries in Canoeing and Kayaking

OBJECTIVE

We report the largest case series of shoulder injuries among paddlers so far to establish common mechanisms and patterns of injury. We also discuss how these injuries were managed and report the proportion of paddlers that return to paddlesport.

DESIGN

Case series.

SETTING

Upper Limb Unit, Wrightington Hospital, United Kingdom. Manchester Arm Clinic, United Kingdom.

PATIENTS

Fifty-seven shoulder injuries to professional and recreational paddlers were reviewed at a mean follow-up time of 55 months from the first consultation. The patient cohort had a mean age of 36 years and consisted of 56% males.

ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS

Sex, mechanism of injury, acute/nonacute injury, and level of sport participation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patient data were analyzed with regards to Constant score, QuickDASH score, and VAS satisfaction score before and after treatment.

RESULTS

The most common mechanism of injury was a capsize which accounted for 15 (26%) injuries. Ten injuries caused by a capsize were labral tears all of which needed surgery. A significant improvement in patient outcome scores was noted. Patients were able to return to a high level of paddling such as 3 slalom paddlers who returned to international competition; one of whom had bilateral surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Paddlers most commonly injure their shoulder when preventing a capsize, during a capsize or while rolling. The paddles strokes performed at these times often require paddlers to place their shoulder in a dangerous abducted and externally rotated position. We believe this is one of the commonest causes of serious shoulder injuries to paddlers.