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Second Round Abstract Submissions
11) Risk Reduction/Prevention
11.13 Concussion incidence and mechanisms of action in professional Australian footballers – differences between men and women
  1. Tom Gastin1,
  2. Patrick Sunderland2,3,
  3. Hamish Anderson1,
  4. Michael Makdissi1,4,5,
  5. Gavin Davis6,7,8,
  6. Stephen Hearps7,
  7. Brady Green9,
  8. Peter Harcourt1,10,11,12,13,14,
  9. Catherine Willmott1,15,16,
  10. Patrick Clifton17
  1. 1Australian Football League, Melbourne, Australia
  2. 2Epworth Sports and Exercise Medicine Group, Melbourne, Australia
  3. 3Essendon Football Club, Melbourne, Australia
  4. 4Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, Melbourne, Australia
  5. 5La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia
  6. 6Cabrini Hospital, Neurosurgery Department, Melbourne, Australia
  7. 7Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
  8. 8Austin Hospital, Neurosurgery Department, Melbourne, Australia
  9. 9University of Notre Dame, School of Physiotherapy, Perth, Australia
  10. 10Cricket Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  11. 11Basketball Australia, Melbourne, Australia
  12. 12Federation of International Basketball Associations, Melbourne, Australia
  13. 13Federation of International Basketball Associations, Melbourne, Australia
  14. 13International Cricket Council, Melbourne, Australia
  15. 14Commonwealth Games Federation, Melbourne, Australia
  16. 15Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
  17. 16Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia
  18. 17National Basketball Association, New York, Australia

Abstract

Objective To assess the incidence of, and mechanisms causing concussion in elite male (AFL) and female (AFLW) Australian football, to identify potential targets for risk reduction.

Design Retrospective study.

Setting/Participants Concussion data was obtained from the AFL medical database, which included all concussions sustained by AFL (male) players from 2015–18 and AFLW (female) players from 2017–19. All concussions were diagnosed by experienced clinicians utilising standardised concussion assessment tools and injury definitions, as well as video review.

Interventions Where available, video footage of each incident was obtained and analysed to determine the circumstances in which each concussion occurred, including the mechanism and the contact point of impact.

Main Results Overall, 252 concussions (6.72 per 1,000 player hours, 95%CI: 5.89–7.55) were reported in 779 matches in the AFL competition, compared to 44 concussions in 96 matches (14.61 per 1,000 player hours, 95%CI: 10.38–18.85) in the AFLW competition. Video footage was available for 194/252 (77%) concussions in the AFL and 35/44 (80%) concussions in the AFLW. Video analysis determined that players ‘being bumped’ (23%) and ‘being tackled’ (20%) were the most prevalent mechanisms in the AFLW, compared with the AFL in which ‘marking contests’ (multiple players attempting to catch the football, 28%) were most commonly associated with diagnosed concussion.

Conclusions These findings confirm that there is a higher incidence of concussion in females compared to males in elite Australian football. The study also suggests that the mechanisms associated with concussion differ across the male and female competitions, potentially requiring individualised injury prevention efforts.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-concussion.371

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