Sports concussion increases the risk of injury

Published in the Journal for Science and Medicine in Sports,the world’s first study tracked and evaluated the long-term impact of concussion and subsequent injury risk in 1455 sub-elite junior Australian football players.

This builds on previous UniSA research which found that sub-elite Australian Rules footballers returning from injury are approximately 1.5 times more likely to suffer injury compared to players without injury.

By tracking injuries over a period of seven seasons, researchers found that football players who suffered a concussion were also about 1.5 times more likely to be injured again in the future, compared to players who were never injured. This increased risk was the same as in players returning from upper and lower limb injuries.

The finding comes ahead of the Australian Senate report on concussions and follows the AFL’s announcement of a $25 million study into the long-term effects of concussions and head impacts.

In the AFL, concussions are one of the most common injuries, with an average of six concussions per 1000 hours of play, affecting approximately 70 to 80 male players annually.

In elite junior football, as well as AFL and AFLW, concussion guidelines state that the earliest a player can return to play after concussion is 12 days after the injury, after following gradual progression through a return-to-play -program.

Lead researcher Dr. UniSA’s Hunter Bennett says the significant and increased risk of injury following concussion may indicate that some players may need a longer recovery time to recover better before returning to play.

“The current recommendation of 12 days after concussion may not be sufficient to allow full recovery in elite football players under the age of 18,” says Dr Bennett.

It may also indicate that the physical attributes affected by concussion need to be more thoroughly assessed before an athlete is cleared to return to sport.

“Concussion is a common injury in Australian football and can lead to limitations in balance, coordination, reaction time and decision-making – and these limitations can increase the risk of other injuries if an athlete returns to play before full recovery.”

A recent consensus statement on concussions in sports also indicates that children and teens may take up to four weeks to recover from a sports-related concussion.

“Concussion is a unique injury that occurs without damage to muscle tissue but affects aspects of motor control,” says Dr. Bennett.

“Recurring injuries can have a significant impact on team success, player health and career longevity.

“In elite sport, there is a possibility that young athletes may exaggerate their willingness to return to sport after injury because they worry that missing matches could exclude them from senior drafting or competition.

“Knowing that athletes are at greater risk of re-injury after a concussion suggests that we need unique and careful rehabilitation strategies to monitor when an athlete has fully recovered and is ready to return to play.”

Researchers say future research should aim to identify optimal rehabilitation and injury prevention strategies for athletes who suffer from concussions.