Mechanisms of injury for concussions in collegiate soccer: an NCAA/DoD CARE consortium study

ABSTRACT

Over 9,000 concussions occur annually in intercollegiate soccer in the United States with little known about the incidence of mechanisms (e.g., collisions) and possible factors (e.g., sex) associated with each mechanism.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to describe the mechanism of injury (MOI) and examine factors associated with greater risk for specific MOIs involving concussions in collegiate soccer players.

Methods

Participants included 3,288 collegiate soccer players from 28 institutions across four competitive seasons, 2014–17. MOIs were documented for 262 soccer-related concussions during the study and placed into one of four categories: collisions, unintentional contact, aerial challenges, and others.

Results

70% of the concussions occurred in DI soccer players. Collisions and unintentional contact were the MOIs that resulted in 66.5% of all concussions. DI and DIII soccer players sustained more concussions by unintentional contact versus collisions and aerial challenges when compared to their DII counterparts. Defenders were more likely than midfielders to sustain concussions by aerial challenges than collisions. As expected, the field players experienced more concussions as a result of collisions, unintentional contact, and aerial challenges when compared to goalkeepers.

Conclusions

Future research should explore preventive strategies for decreasing collisions, especially during aerial challenges while heading the soccer ball, and unintentional contacts from errant balls in soccer in order to decrease concussion risk.

KEYWORDS:

• Repetitive head impacts
• football
• aerial challenges
• heading
• concussion
• mechanism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This publication was made possible, in part, with support from the Grand Alliance Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium, funded, in part by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Department of Defense (DOD). The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering acquisition office. This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, through the Combat Casualty Care Research Program, endorsed by the Department of Defense, through the Joint Program Committee 6/ Combat Casualty Care Research Program – Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Program under Award No. W81XWH1420151. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense.