Kitesurfing practice and related injuries: a narrative review of the literature

Abstract

Objective: the objective of this study is to conduct a literature review to characterize the epidemiological profile of traumatic injuries caused by the practice of this modality. Methods: a narrative review of the literature was carried out on injuries resulting from the practice of kitesurfing in the database of Scielo, Ovid MEDLINE, and Google Scholar articles from January 2000 to December 2022. Results: 14 articles were chosen that suited the objectives of this review. Through the analysis of the articles, discussions were found that guide the main mechanisms of trauma, risk of injuries, structures most frequently affected, and proposals to minimize damage and recovery. Conclusion: the injuries that can affect practitioners of this aquatic sport are mostly mild and mainly in the lower members; however, they can be lethal, which raises the need for further epidemiological and clinical investigation of the cases treated, as well as the adoption of measures of prevention.