Does soccer headgear reduce the incidence of sport-related concussion? A cluster, randomised controlled trial of adolescent athletes.

Review written by Adam Johnson info

Key Points

  1. This study suggests that the use of protective headgear in soccer does not appear to influence rates of soccer-related concussion in adolescent players.
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Soccer-related concussions (SRC) are a concern and comprise up to 13% of all reported injuries within the sport (1). Previous concussive statements have indicated that protective headgear has not been appropriately tested at this time, but there is currently permission within the United States to wear headgear which meets international testing standards.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the incidence of SRC is lower within soccer players who wear protective headgear than those who do not. There was also a secondary aim to determine whether there was a difference in the median number of days lost to SRC between the two groups.

Concussions comprise up to 13% of all reported injuries within the sport of soccer.
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There was no difference in rate of soccer-related concussion between the head gear group (4.4%) and the no head gear group (4.1%

METHODS

The study contacted a number of high school soccer teams during two consecutive seasons. Those teams who agreed to participate in the study were randomly assigned to either the headgear group (HG) or the no headgear (NoHG) group. Those teams

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