This cross-sectional study used the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to characterize US hockey-related ocular trauma — including injury type, severity, and demographics — from January 2004 to December 2023.
215 NEISS cases extrapolated to ~6,466 US hockey eye injuries over 20 years; 12% of 259 diagnoses were vision-threatening, protective goggles were reported in only 2% of cases, and 83% of injuries were equipment-related. Pediatric patients (<18 years, 69% of cases) had more minor anterior segment injuries (64% vs 46%, P=.02), while adults had more major posterior segment injuries (6% vs 0%, P=.009).
- NEISS captures only ED visits, likely underestimating true incidence (clinic- or office-treated injuries are missed). - Small sample (n=215) limits statistical power for subgroup analyses. - Goggle use was self-reported and may be further underreported in this dataset.
Only 2% of injured hockey players wore protective goggles — clinicians and team staff should actively counsel players of all ages and hockey types to wear certified eye protection. Prompt, thorough ocular and periorbital assessment is warranted given that 12% of diagnoses were vision-threatening.
