AB215. SOH22ABS210. Return to play in Gaelic games post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a worrying trend in maxillofacial injuries
Head and Neck/ENT Poster Session

AB215. SOH22ABS210. Return to play in Gaelic games post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a worrying trend in maxillofacial injuries

Cathal Mac Dhaibhéid, Fiachra Maher, Gerard Kearns, Conor Bowe

UCD School of Medicine, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Background: Gaelic football, hurling and camogie were disrupted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In March 2020 all GAA activity was suspended. Collective training and competitions resumed in April 2021. The aim of this study is to compare the incidence of GAA-related facial fractures in the pre-COVID period with their incidence following the return to play.

Methods: Patients presenting with GAA-related facial fractures during September 2019–November 2021 were identified, representing six months of data from the pre-COVID era, 14 months when activity was suspended and six months following return to play. The following variables were recorded: sporting activity, aetiology and site of injury, and treatment provided.

Results: A total of 101 GAA-related facial fractures were identified between September 2019 and November 2021. Twenty-six facial fractures occurred in the six months before COVID-19, 34 in the following 14 months whilst activity was prohibited and 41 facial fractures in the 6 months after resumption of play. A 58% (n=15) increase in facial fractures was observed in the 6-month period after the return to play compared to pre-COVID era. Mandibular fractures were most common (n=18), followed by ZMC (n=11). The majority (n=31) of fractures occurred during matches. Almost a quarter of fractures (n=10) were the result of an altercation off the ball. Eighteen patients (43%) required admission for operative intervention.

Conclusions: There appears to be an increase in patients playing GAA presenting with facial fractures in the post COVID era 6 months after the return to play compared to the pre COVID era.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); facial injuries; GAA; maxillofacial; trauma

Acknowledgments

Funding: None.

Footnote

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-22-ab215
Cite this abstract as: Mac Dhaibhéid C, Maher F, Kearns G, Bowe C. AB215. SOH22ABS210. Return to play in Gaelic games post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a worrying trend in maxillofacial injuries. Mesentery Peritoneum 2022;6:AB215.

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