Thoracic Trauma in Polo: Two Cases and a Review of the Literature

BackgroundThe traditional sport of polo has been played for centuries and has been deemed one of the most dangerous sports due to its high speed and the uncertainty of what might happen as directions change and contact occurs between horses and riders as well as with balls and mallets. Despite its longevity, there is very little in the medical literature about the sport of polo.ObjectivesTwo cases of thoracic trauma after falls from horses while playing polo are presented. Both falls resulted in similar injury patterns to the riders. A discussion follows that reviews the medical literature on equestrian injuries in general and polo injuries in particular.DiscussionBoth cases show a similar injury pattern of clavicle fracture, multiple rib fractures, and lung injury (pulmonary contusion and pneumothorax). Literature review reveals severe injury including head and spinal trauma to be disproportionately represented in the equestrian sports.ConclusionEmergency physicians should look for significant injuries when evaluating victims of polo accidents, as the forces generated can be quite high. Protective equipment, although potentially helpful, has not been studied and may not prevent these high-velocity injuries.