The Swedish Hockey League Hand and Wrist Injury Tracking Trial

NCT07031869 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2025-01728-01
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 114
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study, titled Hand and Wrist Injuries in Professional Hockey Players in Sweden: A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study from the Swedish Hockey League (SHL-HITT), aims to deliver a comprehensive national overview of hand and wrist injuries among professional hockey players. These injuries are relatively common-accounting for approximately 16% of all hockey-related injuries-and can range from minor issues to severe conditions that jeopardize player performance and careers due to prolonged absences or lasting impairment. Despite their significance, there is limited detailed knowledge regarding the specific patterns, mechanisms, and consequences of hand and wrist injuries at the elite level. Utilizing data from a nationwide injury registry, this observational cohort study will cover three full SHL seasons: 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25. The dataset is expected to include approximately 2,300 games, encompassing both regular season and playoff matches. The study will examine injury characteristics such as type (e.g., fractures, soft tissue damage), player position, in-game timing, and additional contextual factors. Statistical analyses will be conducted to identify trends, correlations, and potential risk profiles among different player groups or positions. The findings are expected to support the development of enhanced protective equipment and targeted prevention strategies, ultimately contributing to reduced injury incidence and improved athlete health and career sustainability. The study timeline includes preparation in late 2024, with data collection already ongoing and ethical approval obtained. The analysis will begin following the publication of the study protocol, and we aim for final publication of results in the second half of 2025.

Conditions

Register; Injuries; Athletes; Hand Injuries; Wrist Injuries; Prevention

Keywords

hand; wrist; register; athlete; professionel; ice hockey; prevention; SHL; Swedish Hockey League

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Distribution and frequency of hand and wrist injuries among professional ice hockey players in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

  Anatomical location (e.g., wrist, hand, fingers, thumb) Type of injury (e.g., fracture, dislocation, ligament injury, tendon rupture, contusion) Laterality (left vs. right hand)

  For the 2022/23 to the 2024/25 season.

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Injury incidence by player position

  For the 2022/23 to the 2024/25 season.

• Time of injury occurrence

  For the 2022/23 to the 2024/25 season.

• Time lost due to injury

  For the 2022/23 to the 2024/25 season.

• Severity of injury

  For the 2022/23 to the 2024/25 season.

• Recurrence of injury

  For the 2022/23 to the 2024/25 season.

Study Arms (1)

SHL players with hand/wrist injuries from all games in 2022/23-2024/25 seasons

The study cohort will consist of all registered professional ice hockey players in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) who have sustained a hand or wrist injury during official SHL games over the course of three full seasons: 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25. This includes players from all 14 teams in the league. In total, the study is expected to cover approximately 2,300-2,350 games, including both regular season and playoff matches across the three seasons. All injuries recorded in the SHL's centralized medical injury registry, maintained by the Swedish Medical Association for Ice Hockey, will be included. This registry captures detailed information reported by team medical staff during each season. The cohort will include: All SHL players active during the 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 seasons. Players of all positions (forwards, defensemen, goalkeepers) and age groups. All injuries coded under relevant ICD classifications for trauma to the elbow, forearm, wrist, and han

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population includes professional ice hockey players registered in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) from the 2022/23 season onward. This cohort encompasses athletes of varying positions who have sustained hand or wrist injuries documented in the league's injury registry.

You may qualify if:

• Professional ice hockey players actively rostered in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) during the 2022/23 season and onwards.
• Players with recorded forearm, hand or wrist injuries documented in the SHL injury register.

You may not qualify if:

• Players not officially signed to an SHL team during the study period.
• Injuries occurring outside the forearm, hand or wrist region.
• Incomplete or missing injury data in the registry.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dalarna County Council, Sweden: lead

Study Sites (1)

Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Uppsala University, Sweden

Falun, Dalarna County, 79182, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Worner T, Kauppinen S, Eek F. Injury patterns in Swedish elite female and male ice hockey - A cross-sectional comparison of past-season's injuries. Phys Ther Sport. 2024 Jan;65:83-89. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.12.001. Epub 2023 Dec 8.

  PMID: 38091928 BACKGROUND

• Aman M, Forssblad M, Henriksson-Larsen K. Incidence and severity of reported acute sports injuries in 35 sports using insurance registry data. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2016 Apr;26(4):451-62. doi: 10.1111/sms.12462. Epub 2015 Apr 8.

  PMID: 25850826 BACKGROUND

• Toong T, Wilson KE, Urban K, Paniccia M, Hunt AW, Keightley M, Reed N. Grip Strength in Youth Ice Hockey Players: Normative Values and Predictors of Performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Dec;32(12):3494-3502. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002815.

  PMID: 30216250 BACKGROUND

• Jiang R, Westwater ML, Noble S, Rosenblatt M, Dai W, Qi S, Sui J, Calhoun VD, Scheinost D. Associations between grip strength, brain structure, and mental health in > 40,000 participants from the UK Biobank. BMC Med. 2022 Sep 9;20(1):286. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02490-2.

  PMID: 36076200 BACKGROUND

• Tavares Junior AC, Silva HS, Penedo T, do Amaral Rocha LGS, da Silva AS, Venditti Junior R, Dos-Santos JW. Correlation of the Handgrip Strength and Body Composition Parameters in Young Judokas. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 2;20(3):2707. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032707.

  PMID: 36768073 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Wounds and Injuries; Hand Injuries; Wrist Injuries

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Arm Injuries

Study Officials

• Daniel Muder, MD, PhD

  Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Uppsala University, Sweden

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2025
• First Posted: June 22, 2025
• Study Start: September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2025
• Study Completion: May 31, 2025
• Last Updated: April 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
• Time Frame: From the publication of the protocol and for 10 years thereafter.
• Access Criteria: Access to individual participant data is typically restricted to authorized researchers involved in the study or approved collaborators under strict confidentiality and data protection agreements.

Locations

SE (1)