24 Jul Hockey Eye Injuries Rising in the U.S. — UCSD Study Finds 12% Are Vision-Threatening
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
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Dr. Don Kikkawa[/caption]
Don Kikkawa, MD Distinguished Professor, UC San Diego Viterby Family Department of Ophthalmology Chief, Division of Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Vice-Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology UCSD
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Dr. Leo Miller[/caption]
Leo Meller, MD
UC San Diego School of Medicine, Class of 2026
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Meller: Hockey can put players at risk for eye injuries because of high-speed pucks, sticks, and close-contact play. While many sports-related eye injuries are preventable, there has been limited national data on the frequency and severity of hockey-related eye injuries across different types of hockey. Our research used 20 years of U.S. emergency department data to better understand these injuries. Similar work examining recreational sport eye injury trends — including our related research covered previously on MedicalResearch.com on serious and preventable eye injuries treated in emergency settings — underscores why population-level surveillance data matters for guiding prevention efforts.
[caption id="attachment_75224" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Photo by Luke Miller[/caption]