TY - JOUR PY - 2010// TI - Helmet fit and cervical spine motion in collegiate men's lacrosse athletes secured to a spine board JO - Journal of athletic training A1 - Petschauer, Meredith A. A1 - Schmitz, Randy A1 - Gill, Diane L. SP - 215 EP - 221 VL - 45 IS - 3 N2 - CONTEXT: Proper management of cervical spine injuries in men's lacrosse players depends in part upon the ability of the helmet to immobilize the head.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if properly and improperly fitted lacrosse helmets provide adequate stabilization of the head in the spine-boarded athlete.

DESIGN: Crossover study. SETTING: Sports medicine research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen healthy collegiate men's lacrosse players. INTERVENTION(S): Participants were asked to move their heads through 3 planes of motion after being secured to a spine board under 3 helmet conditions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Change in range of motion in the cervical spine was calculated for the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes for both head-to-thorax and helmet-to-thorax range of motion in all 3 helmet conditions (properly fitted, improperly fitted, and no helmet).

RESULTS: Head-to-thorax range of motion with the properly fitted and improperly fitted helmets was greater than in the no-helmet condition (P <.0001). In the sagittal plane, range of motion was greater with the improperly fitted helmet than with the properly fitted helmet. No difference was observed in helmet-to-thorax range of motion between properly and improperly fitted helmet conditions. Head-to-thorax range of motion was greater than helmet-to-thorax range of motion in all 3 planes (P <.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Cervical spine motion was minimized the most in the no-helmet condition, indicating that in lacrosse players, unlike American football players, the helmet may need to be removed before stabilization.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1062-6050 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-45.3.215 ID - ref1 ER -