Biomechanics of head impacts associated with diagnosed concussion in female collegiate ice hockey players.
Epidemiological evidence suggests that female athletes may be at a greater risk of concussion than their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanics of head impacts associated with diagnosed concussions in a cohort of female collegiate ice hockey players. Instrumented helmets were worn by 58 female ice hockey players from 2 NCAA programs over a three year period. Kinematic measures of single impacts associated with diagnosed concussion and head impact exposure on days with and without diagnosed concussion were evaluated. Nine concussions were diagnosed. Head impact exposure was greater in frequency and magnitude on days of diagnosed concussions than on days without diagnosed concussion for individual athletes. Peak linear accelerations of head impacts associated with diagnosed concussion in this study are substantially lower than those previously reported in male athletes, while peak rotational accelerations are comparable. Further research is warranted to determine the extent to which female athletes' biomechanical tolerance to concussion injuries differs from males.
Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA. Electronic address: Bethany_Wilcox@brown.edu.
Bethany J
BJ
Wilcox
Simbex, Lebanon, NH, USA.
Jonathan G
JG
Beckwith
Simbex, Lebanon, NH, USA; Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
Richard M
RM
Greenwald
Department of Emergency Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Neha P
NP
Raukar
Simbex, Lebanon, NH, USA.
Jeffrey J
JJ
Chu
Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Thomas W
TW
McAllister
Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.
Laura A
LA
Flashman
Center for Brain Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
Arthur C
AC
Maerlender
Pediatric Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Ann-Christine
AC
Duhaime
Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
Joseph J
JJ
Crisco
D056352:Athletes; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006688:Hockey; D006801:Humans; D014495:Universities
Concussion; Female; Hockey; Impact biomechanics