Epidemiology of Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Ice Hockey: 2014-2015 Through 2018-2019

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has sponsored women's ice hockey championships since 2001, and sponsorship has grown over time. Background: Routine examinations of injuries sustained by athletes are important for identifying and understanding patterns that can be used to inform sport safety practices. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected in the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program from 2014-2015 through 2018-2019 were analyzed. Injury counts, rates, and proportions were used to describe injury characteristics, and injury rate ratios were used to examine differential injury rates. Results: The overall injury rate was 5.89 per 1000 athlete-exposures; preseason injury incidence rose sharply during 2016-2017 through 2018-2019. Head/face injuries (15.2%), knee injuries (13.2%), and shoulder injuries (12.9%) were the most commonly injured body parts, and injuries were most often classified as contusions (18.9%), strains (18.7%), and sprains (15.5%). Concussion (11.9%) was the most commonly reported specific injury, and concussion rates notably increased during 2017-2018 through 2018-2019. Summary: Study findings were generally consistent with the existing epidemiological evidence. Injury incidence in preseason and the etiology of strains warrant further attention in this population.