A special danger in bowling and skittle – bowling ball induced injuries of the distal fingers

Purpose: Injuries to the hand and fingers have been reported related to the popular sports of bowling and skittle. Both sports differ regarding size, shape, weight of the ball and technique. The focus of this study is to address whether bowling or skittle players are more prone to injuries. Methods: We assessed hand injuries related to bowling or skittle in a retrospective analysis of patients treated in our department between 2006 and 2016. We also investigated differences between both sports with regards to patient demographics, type and location of lesion, and treatment.Results: A total of 13 patients were identified with minors comprising a total of number of six patients. Six from the overall cohort developed injuries related to bowling, and seven sustained injuries related to skittle. In all cases, the pattern of injury revealed a contusion between two balls during retrieval. The distal phalanx was affected in all patients, and the middle phalanx in one. Out of the 13 patients, one patient presented with lesions on the 3 finger, ten patients on the 4 finger and two patients on the 5 finger. In cases of bone injury (n=10), patients received surgical treatment via K-wire-fixation (n=2), suture-cerclage (n=1), resection of little distal fragments (n=1) or splinting only (n=6). There were no significant differences between patients with bowling or skittle injuries with regard to frequency, type and location of the lesions.Conclusion: Bowling and skittle are comparable with their inherent risk of distal finger trauma. Almost all cases required surgical intervention. As most injuries occurred during retrieval of the ball from the rack, efforts should be put on prevention at this point. In both sports the majority of patients were minor, so age restriction should be evaluated.Level of evidence: Therapeutic study, level I