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11) Risk Reduction/Prevention
11.20 The association between soft-shell headgear, concussion and injury risk in junior Australian football: a prospective cohort study
  1. Jennifer Makovec Knight1,
  2. Biswadev Mitra2,3,4,5,
  3. Andrew McIntosh6,7,
  4. Teresa Howard2,
  5. Clifton Patrick8,
  6. Jeffrey Rosenfeld11,12,
  7. Catherine Willmott1,4,
  8. Michael Makdissi8,9,10
  1. 1The Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
  2. 2National Trauma Research Institute, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
  3. 3Emergency and Trauma Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia
  4. 4Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
  5. 5Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Melbourne, Australia
  6. 6School of Engineering and Australian Collaboration for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention, Joondalup, Australia
  7. 7Monash University Accident Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia
  8. 8Australian Football League, Melbourne, Australia
  9. 9Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
  10. 10Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre, Melbourne, Australia
  11. 11Department of Surgery, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA
  12. 12Department of Neurosurgery, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Objective To assess whether padded headgear (HG) was associated with incidence of suspected sports-related concussion (SRC), non-SRC head injury, and injuries to other body regions in junior Australian football.

Design Prospective cohort injury surveillance.

Methods There were 400 junior players (42.5% female) enrolled across two seasons. Suspected SRC was defined by detection of observable signs on the field and medical assessment or missed match(es) due to suspected SRC. Non-SRC head injury and injuries to other body regions were defined as those that received medical assessment or resulted in a missed match.

Main Results There were 22 teams monitored over 258 matches. 204 players (2,484 player hours) wore mandated HG throughout the season and 196 (2,246 player hours) did not. The incidence rate of suspected SRC was 3.17 (95% CI: 3.04–3.30) per 1000 player-hours and no differences were observed between males and females (RR 1.11; 95% CI: 0.40–3.06). HG use was not associated with suspected SRC (RR 1.09; 95% CI: 0.41–2.97), non-SRC head injury (RR 0.27; 95% CI: 0.06- 1.31), or injuries to other body regions (RR 1.41; 95% CI: 0.79–2.53).

Conclusions HG use was not associated with reduced risk of suspected SRC, non-SRC head injury or injuries to other body regions. There was no difference in rate of suspected SRC in female compared to male players, however, rates of non-SRC head injury and injuries to other body regions were higher in male players.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-concussion.161

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