Medical Team Perspectives on Hand and Wrist Injuries in Elite Male and Female Ice Hockey Players

NCT07586085 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: EPM will be filled in later.
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This is a cross-sectional survey study investigating how medical team staff in elite Swedish ice hockey perceive hand and wrist injuries in male and female players. Hand and wrist injuries are common in ice hockey and can affect both performance and participation. While injury registries describe how often these injuries occur, less is known about how they are managed and prioritised in daily clinical practice, or whether there are differences in perception between medical teams working in male and female elite leagues. In this study, physiotherapists and team physicians working in Swedish elite ice hockey (including SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, and SDHL) will complete a structured questionnaire. The survey examines perceptions of injury frequency, underreporting, functional impact, clinical management strategies, and return-to-play decision-making related to hand and wrist injuries. The aim is to better understand how medical teams experience and manage these injuries in real-world elite sport settings, and to identify potential gaps between epidemiological data and clinical practice. The study may help inform future injury prevention strategies, improve clinical decision-making, and support the development of more standardized management approaches in elite ice hockey. No interventions or treatments are performed in this study.

Conditions

Ice Hockey; Wrist; Injuries; Hand; Medical Staff Perception

Keywords

ice hockey; hand; wrist; medical staff perception; cross-sectional survey

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Perceived Injury Burden Based on Time-Loss Ranking of Injury Locations

  Ranking of injury locations based on perceived contribution to total time-loss in elite ice hockey, as reported by medical staff. Injury locations include head/face, shoulder, knee, groin, hand/wrist, and other specified regions. Unit of Measure: Ordinal ranking (1 = highest burden, 2 = second highest, 3 = third highest)

  Baseline (cross-sectional survey at enrollment)

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Frequency of Playing With Hand and Wrist Symptoms

  Baseline (cross-sectional survey at enrollment)

• Frequency of Hand and Wrist Symptoms Without Formal Diagnosis

  Baseline (cross-sectional survey at enrollment)

• Perceived Extent of Underreporting of Hand and Wrist Injuries

  Baseline (cross-sectional survey at enrollment)

• Type of Hand and Wrist Problems Perceived as Underreported

  Baseline (cross-sectional survey at enrollment)

• Functional Impact of Hand and Wrist Injuries

  Baseline (cross-sectional survey at enrollment)

Study Arms (1)

Medical Team Staff in Elite Ice Hockey

Physiotherapists, physicians and other medical staff working with elite ice hockey teams in Sweden (SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, SDHL) completing a cross-sectional survey on perceptions and management of hand and wrist injuries in ice hockey players.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Medical support staff are recruited from elite ice hockey organizations in Sweden, including teams competing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), HockeyAllsvenskan, and the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). The population includes individuals working in team-based medical and performance support roles such as physicians, physiotherapists, athletic trainers, and massage therapists. Participants are drawn from active staff lists within participating clubs and are invited to take part during scheduled medical or team staff meetings within the competitive season period.

You may qualify if:

• Physiotherapists working with elite ice hockey teams in Sweden (SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, SDHL)
• Team physicians working with elite ice hockey teams in Sweden (SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, SDHL)
• Massage therapists and sports massage practitioners working with elite ice hockey teams in Sweden
• Athletic trainers and performance staff involved in player health and injury management in elite ice hockey teams in Sweden
• Currently active in a medical or performance support role within a participating elite ice hockey team during the study period
• Able to understand and complete the questionnaire in Swedish or English Provides informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Refusal to participate
• Not currently active in a medical, therapeutic, or performance support role within elite ice hockey during the study period

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dalarna County Council, Sweden: lead

Study Sites (1)

Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Uppsala University

Falun, Dalarna County, 79182, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Clarsen B, Myklebust G, Bahr R. Development and validation of a new method for the registration of overuse injuries in sports injury epidemiology: the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) overuse injury questionnaire. Br J Sports Med. 2013 May;47(8):495-502. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091524. Epub 2012 Oct 4.

  PMID: 23038786 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

• Gotlin MJ, Minhas SV, Buchalter DB, Feder OI, Alaia MJ, Jazrawi LM. Performance and Return to Sport After Hand, Wrist, and Forearm Fractures in the National Hockey League. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2020 Sep 25;2(5):e505-e510. doi: 10.1016/j.asmr.2020.05.013. eCollection 2020 Oct.

  PMID: 33134987 BACKGROUND

• Tuominen M, Stuart MJ, Aubry M, Kannus P, Parkkari J. Injuries in men's international ice hockey: a 7-year study of the International Ice Hockey Federation Adult World Championship Tournaments and Olympic Winter Games. Br J Sports Med. 2015 Jan;49(1):30-6. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093688. Epub 2014 Oct 7.

  PMID: 25293341 BACKGROUND

• 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

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Wounds and Injuries

Study Officials

• Daniel Muder, MD, PhD

  Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Uppsala University, Sweden

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Daniel Muder, MD, PhD

CONTACT

+46722027596; danielmuder@email.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 30, 2026
• First Posted: May 14, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

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)