Soccer concussions

Khodaee M, Currie DW, Asif IM, Comstock RD. Nine-year study of US high school soccer injuries: data from a national sports injury surveillance programme. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Dec 28. pii: bjsports-2015-095946. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095946. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Research on high school soccer injury epidemiology is sparse.

AIM:

To describe high school soccer injury rates, trends and patterns by type of athlete exposure (AE), position and sex.

METHODS:

This descriptive epidemiological study used data from a large national high school sports injury surveillance programme to describe rates and patterns of soccer-related injuries including concussion sustained from 2005/2006 to 2013/2014. Injury rates are calculated per 1000 AEs.

RESULTS:

Overall, 6154 soccer injuries occurred during 2 985 991 AEs; injury rate=2.06 per 1000 AEs. Injury rates were higher during competition (4.42) than practice (1.05; rate ratio (RR)=4.19; 95% CI 3.98 to 4.41), and in girls (2.33) than boys (1.83; RR=1.27, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.34). Boys' non-concussion injury rates decreased significantly (p=0.001) during the study period while reported concussion rates increased significantly (p=0.002). Girls' non-concussion rates were relatively stable and reported concussion rates increased significantly (p=0.004). Player-player contact was the injury mechanism that led to the most competition injuries (injury proportion ratio (IPR)=2.87; 95% CI 2.57 to 3.21), while non-contact injuries were the most common mechanisms among practice injuries (IPR=2.10; 95% CI 1.86 to 2.38). Recovery from concussion was >7 days in a third of the cases. Injury patterns were similar between sexes with respect to position played and location on the field at the time of injury.

CONCLUSIONS:

High school soccer injury rates vary by sex and type of exposure, while injury patterns are more similar across sexes. Reported concussion rates increased significantly over the study period in male and female athletes.

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From the article:

Concussions. The overall rate of concussion in this study was 0.36 per 1000 AEs. An estimated 604 371 concussions occurred nationally in high school soccer players during the study period. The most commonly endorsed concussion symptoms were headache (92.6%), dizziness/unsteadiness (68.8%) and concentration difficulty (52.2%). Loss of consciousness occurred in 3.6% of concussions and amnesia in 15.8%. Symptoms resolved within 1 day in 21.0% of concussions, but took >1 week to resolve in 29.4% of cases. Most concussions resulted in time loss between 1 and 3 weeks (54.8%). Athletes were medically disqualified for the season in 3.5% of concussion cases…

The concussion rate increased among both boys and girls during the study period. This may be partially due to better recognition of concussion symptoms and signs by medical and coaching staff, or the implementation of state concussion laws in the later years of our study. The precise reason for increasing concussion rates requires further investigation…

See:  http://childnervoussystem.blogspot.com/2015/07/soccer-headers-and-concussions.html