All Head Hits Dangerous On Football Field

Med Headlines - Football is a hard-hitting game that often involves hard hits to the helmet. Traditional wisdom says such hits to the head are more likely to cause concussions when the impact is of a certain magnitude or location.

However, the results of a study recently reported in a series of papers published in Neurosurgery’s online edition suggest any impact to the head can be dangerous.

University of North Carolina’s Kevin M. Guskiewicz, PhD, and his colleagues tested the theoretical thresholds for safety by using devices inside the helmets of 76 collegiate football players. The players were given clinical tests to measure the effects, if any, of helmet impacts.

Accelerometers and telemetry devices measured the impacts and clinical tests measured severity of concussive symptoms, postural stability, and neurocognitive function within the first 24 hours, the acute period, after receiving an injury that might cause concussion.

The researchers found no difference in the number or severity of concussions based on the location of the impact and no difference when the impacts were at high or low velocity.

The effects of linear and rotational acceleration were also considered with each helmet impact studied.

The theory that concussions are less likely to occur during times of “light” practice was also disproved. Light practice means wearing helmets only, no pads, during practice but the measurements of the helmet devices indicate the magnitude of helmet hits during practice is significantly higher than those sustained during game or scrimmage time.

Of more than 57,000 helmet impacts studied, 27% of them occurred during helmets-only practice and 50% occurred during practice with full pads. Only 22% of the helmet impacts studied took place during a game or scrimmage.

Study results seem to indicate that it is impossible to establish a threshold for impacts likely to cause concussive injury that can be applied universally to all football players.

Filed under: Children's Health, Neurology, Sport Medicine