Assessment of the Risk of Eye Injuries in Team Sports and the Impact of Safety Procedures on Their Incidence - An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Injury Prevention
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.52.69381Keywords
eye injury, team-based sport, injury prevention,, sports medicineAbstract
Background: Sports-related eye injuries are a significant problem, and most of them are potentially preventable through appropriate safety procedures and eye protection (Leivo et al., 2015; Hua & Yan, 2020; Moe et al., 2023). The dynamics of play, physical contact, and the use of equipment increase the risk of mechanical injury to the visual system. Epidemiological data indicate that the highest number of injuries is associated with popular team sports such as football (soccer), basketball, and baseball, with the dominant mechanism being ball impact or accidental bodily contact (Lee et al., 2021; Leivo et al., 2015; Ashraf et al., 2022; Haring et al., 2016).
Aim: The aim of the article is to assess the risk of eye injuries in team sports and to analyze the impact of safety procedures on their incidence.
Material and Methods: This paper is a narrative review prepared as a systematic review of the scientific literature on the risk of eye injuries in team sports and the influence of safety procedures on their frequency. The literature search was conducted in the PubMed database and covered publications from 2000-2026. Peer‑reviewed scientific articles were included.
Results: The highest risk of eye injuries is observed in popular ball games with high ball speed and intensive physical contact (football/soccer, basketball, handball). Implementation of comprehensive preventive strategies - including eye protection and educational programs - can reduce the incidence and severity of injuries by as much as 70-100% (Moe et al., 2023; Mishra et al., 2024; Mazarelo et al., 2023).
Conclusions: Effective prevention of eye injuries in team sports requires the integration of medical and organizational interventions. The introduction of standardized safety procedures significantly reduces the frequency of injuries. The combination of medical and organizational analysis should form the basis for designing effective eye‑injury prevention programs in team sports.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Michał Kluś, Mikołaj Olszok, Krzysztof Karbowiak, Natalia Makselan, Natalia Nawrat, Karolina Handzel, Antoni Anczyk, Daniel Wijas, Bartłomiej Kozdra
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