Quantifying head impact biomechanical differences between commonly employed cleaning levels: a critical research interpretation consideration

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Wearable accelerometry devices quantify on-field frequency and severity of head impacts to further improve sport safety. Commonly employed post-data collection cleaning techniques may affect these outcomes.

Objective

Our purpose was to compare game impact rates and magnitudes between three different cleaning levels (Level-1: impacts recorded within start and end times, Level-2: impacts during pauses/breaks removed, Level-3: video verified) for male youth tackle football.

Methods

Participants (n = 23, age = 10.9 ± 0.3 yrs, height = 150.0 ± 8.3 cm, mass = 41.6 ± 8.4 kg) wore Triax SIM-G sensors throughout Fall 2019. Impact rates, ratios (IRRs), and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were used to compare levels. Random-effects general linear models were used to compare peak linear acceleration (PLA;g) and angular velocity (PAV;rads/s).

Results

Level-1 resulted in higher impact rates (4.57; 95%CI = 4.14–5.05) compared to Level-2 (3.09; 95%CI = 2.80–3.42; IRR = 1.48; 95%CI = 1.34–1.63) and Level-3 datasets (2.56; 95%CI = 2.30–2.85; IRR = 1.78; 95%CI = 1.60–1.98). Level-2 had higher impact rates compared to Level-3 (1.21; 95%CI = 1.08–1.35). Level-1 resulted in higher PAV than Level-2 and Level-3 (p < 0.001) datasets. PLA did not differ across datasets (p = 0.296).

Conclusions

Head impact data should be filtered of pauses/breaks, and does not substantially differ outcome estimates compared to time-intensive video verification.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth sport
• impact sensors
• repetitive head impacts
• mild traumatic brain injury
• concussion

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded in part by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) under Grant [#10-19]