Prevalence and Functional Impact of Hand and Wrist Symptoms in Ice Hockey Players

Overview

Ice hockey places high physical demands on the hands and wrists due to frequent shooting, passing, and physical contact. This study aims to understand how common hand and wrist pain or symptoms are among ice hockey players in Sweden, and how these symptoms affect training, participation, and performance. Players from different competitive levels (elite, junior, and amateur) and both sexes will complete a structured questionnaire based on the validated Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) tool, along with questions about pain intensity, symptom characteristics, and functional impact. The goal is to describe the prevalence and severity of hand and wrist symptoms across different groups of players and to identify potential differences between sex, playing level, and position. No treatment or intervention is involved.

This cross-sectional observational survey study investigates the prevalence, severity, and functional impact of hand and wrist symptoms among ice hockey players in Sweden. Ice hockey is characterized by high mechanical loading of the upper extremities due to repeated stick handling, shooting, passing, and frequent body contact, which may result in both acute injuries and chronic or overuse-related symptoms affecting the hand and wrist. Despite the recognized importance of upper-limb function in ice hockey performance, the burden of non-time-loss symptoms remains poorly described in epidemiological injury surveillance systems. Traditional injury registries primarily capture time-loss injuries and may therefore underestimate the true functional impact of hand and wrist complaints that do not necessarily result in absence from play. To address this gap, players from multiple competitive levels-including elite, junior elite, and amateur ice hockey teams in Sweden-will complete a structured questionnaire during the competitive or pre-season period. The survey is based on the validated Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) Overuse Injury Questionnaire, supplemented with additional items capturing pain intensity (numeric rating scale), symptom characteristics (location, duration, and triggers), and perceived impact on training, participation, and performance. The study population includes both male and female athletes across different competitive tiers, allowing stratified analyses by sex, playing level, and playing position. The primary objective is to estimate the prevalence of hand and wrist symptoms, while secondary objectives include quantifying symptom severity and functional consequences, as well as exploring associations with player characteristics such as age, playing experience, and prior injury history. All data are collected at a single time point, and no interventions or treatments are administered as part of the study. The results are intended to improve understanding of the functional burden of hand and wrist symptoms in ice hockey and to inform future injury prevention, load management, and rehabilitation strategies.