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Study: Football helmet brand had no effect on rate of sports-related concussion
Researchers found that the incidence of sports-related concussions in high school football athletes did not differ based on the football helmet brand worn.
High school athletic trainers recorded the incidence of concussion, the brand of helmet worn by each player, players’ demographics, the type of mouth guard used and history of concussion. The study included 2,081 players from grades 9 through 12 who were enrolled during the 2012 and/or 2013 football seasons and participated in 134,437 football exposures (practice or competition). Overall, 206 athletes sustained a total of 211 sports-related concussions.
There was no difference in the incidence of concussion between players wearing Riddell, Schutt or Xenith helmet brands, according to the researchers.
Sports-related concussion rate was found to be higher in players who wore a custom mouth guard compared with those who wore a generic mouth guard.
Additionally, players who had sustained a sports-related concussion within the previous 12 months were more likely to experience a subsequent concussion compared with players without a previous sports-related concussion.
The researchers concluded that sports medicine providers should be aware that factors other than the types of protective equipment worn can affect the incidence of sports-related concussions in high school athletes.
Disclosure: Funding for this study was provided by the University of Wisconsin Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and UW Sports Medicine Classic Fund.
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McGuine TA. Am J Sports Med. 2014. doi:10.1177/0363546514541926.