Medicine and science in sports and exercise
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Protective gloves are worn for stick-handling sports, including ice hockey, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse, but are not mandated for women's field hockey. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether collegiate field hockey players are at increased risk for significant hand injuries compared with stick-handling athletes who wear protective gloves. ⋯ Of participants in four stick-handling sports, collegiate field hockey players have significantly higher odds of sustaining hand or phalangeal injuries. Wearing gloves is a protective measure common in ice hockey and men's and women's lacrosse. However, it is not the current practice in field hockey. We recommend the use of protective gloves in collegiate field hockey practice and competition.