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. 2018 Oct 1;34(5):354-360.
doi: 10.1123/jab.2017-0207. Epub 2018 Jul 26.

Head Impact Exposure in Practices Correlates With Exposure in Games for Youth Football Players

Srinidhi Bellamkonda  1 , Samantha J Woodward  1 , Eamon Campolettano  2 , Ryan Gellner  2 , Mireille E Kelley  3 , Derek A Jones  3 , Amaris Genemaras  4 , Jonathan G Beckwith  4 , Richard M Greenwald  4 , Arthur C Maerlender  5 , Steven Rowson  2 , Stefan M Duma  2 , Jillian E Urban  3 , Joel D Stitzel  3 , Joseph J Crisco  1
Affiliations

Head Impact Exposure in Practices Correlates With Exposure in Games for Youth Football Players

Srinidhi Bellamkonda et al. J Appl Biomech. .

Abstract

This study aimed to compare head impact exposures between practices and games in football players ages 9 to 14 years, who account for approximately 70% of all football players in the United States. Over a period of 2 seasons, 136 players were enrolled from 3 youth programs, and 49,847 head impacts were recorded from 345 practices and 137 games. During the study, individual players sustained a median of 211 impacts per season, with a maximum of 1226 impacts. Players sustained 50th (95th) percentile peak linear acceleration of 18.3 (46.9) g, peak rotational acceleration of 1305.4 (3316.6) rad·s-2, and Head Impact Technology Severity Profile of 13.7 (24.3), respectively. Overall, players with a higher frequency of head impacts at practices recorded a higher frequency of head impacts at games (P < .001, r2 = .52), and players who sustained a greater average magnitude of head impacts during practice also recorded a greater average magnitude of head impacts during games (P < .001). The youth football head impact data quantified in this study provide valuable insight into the player exposure profile, which should serve as a key baseline in efforts to reduce injury.

Keywords: HIT system; impacts per game; impacts per practice; linear acceleration; rotational acceleration.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: Joseph J. Crisco, Richard M. Greenwald, Jonathan G. Beckwith and Simbex have a financial interest in the instruments (HIT System, Sideline Response System, Riddell, Inc.) that were used to collect the biomechanical data reported in this study.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Impacts per game correlated linearly (r2 = 0.52, p < 0.001) with impacts per practice for individual players. Each data point represents an individual player.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Correlation between impact frequency per practice and per game for individual players did not differ significantly by program.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Distribution of total number of impacts per player per season differed substantially among the three youth programs.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Positive significant correlation was found between head impacts during practice and games for median peak linear acceleration (g) (A), 95th percentile peak linear acceleration (g) (B), median peak rotational acceleration (rad s−2) (C), 95th percentile peak rotational acceleration (rad s−2) (D), median peak HITsp and (E), 95th percentile peak HITsp (F).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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