Cranio-maxillo-facial injuries in professional jockeys: A systematic review

Background. - Professional horse racing is an activity known for its high risk of injuries, especially in the cranio-facial area. Nevertheless, despite the long history of horse races and the severity of the injuries sustained by professional jockeys, only very few epidemiological studies have been published to date. Cranio-maxillo-facial injuries in jockeys appear to be one of the main causes of retirement or even death. Objective. - This study aimed to describe the epidemiology and distribution of cranio-facial injuries in professional jockeys through a PRISMA systematic review of the recent English literature and the description of case reports. Methods. - Relevant articles were searched on PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases using the following MeSH terms: "athletic injuries'' OR "athletic injuries/epidemiology'' AND "Horses'' on PubMed; or the following keywords "jockey, injury, epidemiology'' on ScienceDirect and "jockey, injury'' on Cochrane Library. Only studies with epidemiological data of cranio-facial injuries or total injuries in professional jockeys were included. In addition, recent data, supplied by the French racing authority from official reports about injuries that occurred during professional horse races in France, are analyzed. Results. - A total of 10 relevant articles were retained. The injury rate, in flat horse racing, was 0.6 to 1.8 per 1000 rides. The cranio-facial region was involved in 11.96 to 27.63% of cases. In jump horse racing, the injury rate was 5.1 to 15.8 per 1000 rides, involving the cranio-facial region in 10.6 to 26.7% of cases. Cranio-facial injuries are illustrated by impressive pictures and case reports. Conclusion. - This systematic review highlights the high risk of cranio-facial injuries in jockeys. (C) 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.