Characteristics of Rodeo Injuries and Suggestions for Injury Prevention: A Systematic Review.

Background: Rodeo is a globally popular sport, with its athletes prone to various types of injuries. There is no systematic review discussing rodeo injuries across all age groups.

Purpose: To (1) review the published literature on incidence, types of injuries, and factors leading to injuries in rodeo athletes; (2) provide prevention recommendations for health care providers; and (3) identify gaps in the research.

Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: A comprehensive search of available literature was electronically performed through MEDLINE, Embase, and SPORTDiscus databases using the key terms "rodeo" and "injury" or "trauma" between 1995 and 2021. A systematic review was performed using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, which identified 116 eligible studies. Outcome data included frequency of injuries, risk factors for injury, and types of injury.

Results: A total of 23 studies met the inclusion criteria (N = 2105 athletes), of which 13 were retrospective studies. In the included studies, the injury rate per competition exposure (CE) ranged from 4.2 to 19.1 injuries per 1000 CE. Sprains and strains accounted for the highest percentage of injury types, ranging from 15% to 34%. The knee was the most common location of injury, making up 11.1% to 17% of injuries. Concussions occurred in up to 15.3% of injuries for all events and up to 77% of injuries in roughstock events. Of all rodeo events reported, bull riding caused the highest percentage of injuries, making up 19.4% to 58.4% of injuries, and bareback had the second highest at 15.3% to 28.8% of injuries.

Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of various injury types and mechanisms in rodeo. Improved injury surveillance and the introduction of a comprehensive standardized injury reporting system would be helpful in the future prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of rodeo injuries.