Facial Injuries
|
|
|
|
We greet the world with our face; due to this most of us place a premium on keeping our face intact. Unfortunately, facial trauma in athletics is common. Whether the athlete is struck by a sport implement or another player, the results can be far worse than they appear at first glance. A baseball pitcher is struck over the eye with a batted ball. Immediately the eye begins to swell shut. The possible injuries from this are: concussion, orbital blow-out fracture, abrasion of the cornea, facial laceration, or a fracture of the frontal bone. 
The athlete shown in the photograph was struck over the left eye by a batted ball while throwing in a batting cage. The athlete failed to “duck” behind the “L-screen” to avoid being hit by the batted ball. He, fortunately, suffered nothing more than a contusion and resulting black eye. Had he moved 6 inches to his right, this injury would not have happened. The use of mouth guards is required in boxing and American football. The mouth guard will help to limit damage to teeth and gums and limit the degree of concussions an athlete may sustain. As this photo shows, the athlete’s own teeth can lacerate the lip. Use of a mouth guard would have helped to prevent this injury. A mouth guard can also help to limit the damage to teeth. Fractured or dislocated teeth are a problem in any sport. Contact with a sport implement or another athlete can result in damage to the teeth. Use of a mouth guard can be beneficial in any sport. 
Fortunately, fractures in the face are not common in athletics. The most common is a broken nose. This photo shows a severely broken and lacerated nose. This is from an Australian rules football game. Unfortunately for the athlete, helmets are not worn in this high contact sport. In the case of American football, the helmet would have helped to avoid this injury.
The injuries above are mainly cosmetic in their long term affects: the black eye, lacerated nose, and lacerated lip will heal with minimal long-term morbidity; the broken nose may have to be surgically repaired to restore normal breathing; and the fractured teeth can be cosmetically bonded. However, the greatest risk for long-term disability involves damage to one or both eyes. Loosing one of a paired organ, such as the eyes, may result in disqualification from further sports participation. The incurred risk in loosing the other eye, resulting in permanent blindness, is a risk that many physicians will strongly discourage their patients from taking. Due to this, many sports regulation agencies are implementing new rules that include mandatory eye protection. Those sports participants that do not have mandatory eye protection rules should be strongly encouraged to protect their eyes with equipment certified by the Protective Eyewear Council. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 40,000 eye injuries occur during sports participation annually. The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates that 90% of these injuries are preventable. The best prevention is to wear protective eyewear. The top five worst offending eye-injury-sports are: basketball, water/pool sports, baseball, racket sports, and hockey. Participation rules for organized versions of these sports at the high school, collegiate, or professional level do NOT mandate the use of protective eyewear. Protective eyewear should be worn by all athletes while participating in their sport(s) of choice. That being said, one must choose appropriately tested and approved eye protection. Eye standards in the US are the responsibility of: the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) is also responsible for standards in selected sports such as American football. Eyewear standards in the US are determined by the ASTM. (NOCSAE is only responsible for standards in American football and men’s lacrosse.) The ASTM is a group of product producers and non-producers that determine standards for: racket sports, women’s lacrosse, field hockey, baseball, basketball, hockey, paintball, and Alpine skiing. The Protective Eyewear Certification Council (PECC) is responsible for certifying specific products as complying with ATSM or NOCSAE standards. Choosing the appropriate eye protection can be difficult. The basic items to look for are: polycarbonate lenses, and the PECC or NOCSAE seal of approval. The ATSM website (www.atsm.org) can be searched for a more complete listing of appropriate eyewear standards. The PECC website contains information on approved producers (www.protecteyes.org/directory.htm). Eyewear should also be fitted by a professional. An optometrist can appropriately fit goggle-type eyewear and an Athletic Trainer can fit and install helmet-mounted polycarbonate lenses. Protective eyewear for children must be checked for fit as the athlete grows, it is possible that last year’s goggles will not fit this year. Prevent Blindness America (www.preventblindness.org) recommends that all sports participants wear protective eyewear. |
|
©2000 - 2009 David Edell Information on this site is not a substitute for physician directed care. Please consult your personal physician for more detailed information concerning specific injuries or illnesses. Last Update for AthleticAdvisor.com: 10/24/2009 12:09:35 AM |
