Featuring Dr. Larissa Roux, MD, MPH, PhD, CCFP, Dip Sport Med

Duration: 1 minute, 36 seconds

Lacerations quite simply are deep cuts which can bleed profusely.

In hockey they are often the result of a direct blow with another player or with equipment. Once an athlete comes off the ice, the most important considerations are to first, control the bleeding as well as to minimze the potential for scarring and infection.

If once evaluated the laceration doesn't appear to be bad, the bleeding is controlled and the wound is not deep it can be closed with an occlusive dressing and the player can go back out on the ice.

On the other hand, if a laceration appears to be deep or the bleeding is difficult to control because the laceration is over a bony prominence or it could have edges that don't come together well, then the player should seek medical attention; this laceration needs to be sutured.

Lacerations that deserve a little bit more of our attention are those that occur in vulnerable areas such as the ankle and the wrist. The structures underlying the skin at these two points such as the tendons and blood vessels can be severed in a laceration and certainly this becomes more of an emergent problem.

To protect against these kind of lacerations, there are skate socks and wrist guards available on the market today. If you have any further questions, please consult your local primary care physician or primary care sports medicine physician.

Presenter: Dr. Larissa Roux, Sports Medicine Physician, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Sports Medicine Physician