Commentary

The work of Pashby¹ has shown that protective visors can prevent eye injury in ice hockey. Much of the debate on full face versus half face visors revolves around the prevention of facial and dental injuries. There is clear evidence that wearing a full face visor reduces the risk of facial lacerations and dental injuries. Eye injuries are, thankfully, rare if either type of visor is used. However, loss of vision in an eye usually has greater occupational, social, and psychological implications for a player than either facial or dental injury. This paper reports a serious eye injury in a player wearing a half face visor. Assuming the player was using unmodified certified equipment, this case adds weight to the argument that full face visors should be made compulsory in ice hockey.