Citation

Hanlon E, Bir C. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2011; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

1Wayne State University, Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182444c4b

PMID

22143112

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study was to collect real-time head acceleration data for soccer impacts during girls' youth (U14) soccer play. METHODS: Linear and angular head accelerations were collected during girls' youth soccer scrimmages using a wireless head acceleration measurement device (HITS). Following field data collection each individual impact was analyzed. The type of impact, header or non-header, was determined and non-header impacts were further assessed by the category of impact. Head injury criterion (HIC) and resultant linear and angular acceleration were analyzed and compared to current injury tolerance values for all impacts. RESULTS: A total of 47 headers and 20 non-header impacts were observed during the study. The front of the head experienced more headers than the other locations (n = 17). Header impacts ranged in peak linear acceleration from 4.5 g to 62.9 g and in peak angular head acceleration from 444.8 rad/s to 8869.1 rad/s. The majority of the non-header impacts, 40%, were player collisions with other players. Only one goalpost collision occurred, but it resulted in the highest peak angular acceleration (5179.5 rad/s) and was the only non-header impact to exceed any of the tolerance levels. CONCLUSIONS: Head accelerations were found to exceed the majority of previous laboratory studies. None of the impacts exceeded linear acceleration tolerance values for concussion, but angular accelerations did exceed the suggested limits. Three angular acceleration measurements for heading events (4509.8 rad/s, 5298.3 rad/s, 8869.1 rad/s) exceeded the concussion tolerance values, but no concussions were diagnosed during the study.

Language: en