Accelerometric Analysis of Head Impacts in Amateur Wrestling: An Exploratory Analysis

ABSTRACT

NCAA men’s wrestlers are at risk for concussion. Current research measures linear and rotational accelerations of the head through impact sensors. The frequency, magnitude, and distribution of head impacts >10 g on three Division I NCAA male wrestlers were recorded. Measures consisted of impact duration, linear, rotational head acceleration, and risk-weighted cumulative exposure. Participants averaged 41 ± 4 impacts with a resultant median peak linear and rotation acceleration of 15 g and 1,880 rad/s², resulting in a median HIT_SP and the RWE_CP of 15 and 0.0004. Results indicate lower levels compared to football and rugby.

Keywords:

• head kinematics
• wrestling
• concussion

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank the Brittany England for her assistance in the project.

COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICAL STANDARDS

The authors declare that there are no competing interests associated with the research contained within this article. No sources of funding were utilized in conducting this study. According to the definition given by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the authors listed above qualify for authorship on the basis of making one or more of the substantial contributions to the intellectual content of the article.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Mark Hecimovich, Doug King, and Troy Garrett declare that they have no conflict of interest.