Hand and Wrist Injuries in Elite Fencers

This dataset contains anonymised survey responses from a cross-sectional study examining self-reported hand and wrist injuries among elite adult USA fencers. Participants were fencers aged 18 years or older who had competed in international fencing events during the 2022–2023 competitive season.

The dataset includes participant demographic information, fencing background, weapon type, injury history, injury mechanism, hand dominance, treatment received, time away from fencing, surgical intervention, and self-reported recovery. The data were collected using an anonymous web-based survey and were analysed using descriptive statistics, with comparisons across weapon types conducted using chi-square tests.

The study aimed to characterise the prevalence, mechanisms, and treatment characteristics of hand and wrist injuries in elite fencers. The data show that hand and wrist injuries were commonly reported across all weapon types, with most acute injuries being weapon-related and bell guard impact identified as the most frequent mechanism. The dataset may be useful for researchers, clinicians, coaches, and sporting organisations interested in fencing injury epidemiology, athlete health, injury prevention, and hand/wrist injury management in high-performance sport.