Concussions in junior rugby football athletes and their prevention

Abstract

Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of traumatic brain injury among 15–24 year olds. A wide range of head and neck injury risks are incurred in sports, and some involve serious injury. Among other head injury in sports, Concussions have recently attracted much attention, and are a hot topic in sports medicine. Concussions are caused by a direct impact to the head and face or other part of the body that includes the transfer of an impact force to the brain. Fullcontact sports are known for their high incidence of such injuries. Although rugby athletes can sustain injuries to all body parts, concussions are the most common. Tackling is the phase of play that produces the highest proportion of injuries in rugby union football. Helmets and headgear have been shown to reduce the risk of severe head and facial injury, but have been of littie or no help in reducing the rate of concussions. Concussion injury prevention must be multifaceted, addressing relevant factors of the environment as well as those of training and supervision.