Hand Verletzungen bei jugendlichen und erwachsenen Sportkletterern

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to understand the activity, recreational profile and the rate of hand/finger injuries among non-professional climbers Design: 23 young climbers (mean age 16 years) and 20 older climbers (mean age 29 years) participated in a questionnaire study. The data included sociodemographic variables, level of daily and recreational activities and climbing profile (experience, training frequency, past injuries, functional and medical diagnoses). Results: The results indicate that young climbers do not sustain hand/finger injuries as frequently as the older adults. Men sustain injuries and complain of pain more often than women. Conclusions: Overuse, lack of sufficient rest and a more challenging environment appear to be the main factors which contribute to hand/finger injuries among the older climbers.