Wearing American Football helmets increases cervicocephalic kinaesthetic awareness in “elite” American Football players but not controls

نویسندگان

  • Peter W. McCarthy
  • Phillip J. Hume
  • Andrew I. Heusch
  • Sally D. Lark
چکیده

BACKGROUND While there have been investigations into the reduced neck injury rate of wearing protective helmets, there is little information on its effects on normal kinaesthetic neck function. This study aims to quantify the kinaesthetic and movement effects of the American football helmet. METHODS Fifteen British Collegiate American football players (mean age 22.2, SD 1.9; BMI kg.m(2) 26.3, SD 3.7) were age and size matched to 11 non-American football playing university students (mean age 22.5, SD 3.6; BMI 24.3, SD 3.3 kg.m(2)). Both groups had their active cervical range of motion and head repositioning accuracy measured during neck flexion/extension using a modified cervical range of motion device and a similarly modified football helmet. RESULTS Wearing helmets significantly reduced active cervical range of motion in extension in both groups (P = 0.007 and P = 0.001 Controls and American Footballers respectively). While both groups had similar repositioning when not wearing a helmet (flexion P = 0.99; extension P = 0.52), when wearing helmets, American football players appeared to be more accurate in relation to cervical kinaesthetic repositioning (ANOVA: P = 0.077: flexion effect size =0.84; extension effect size =0.38). CONCLUSIONS Wearing American football helmets significantly reduces the active cervical range of motion in extension, along with a change in the neutral head position. American footballers have a greater accuracy in repositioning their head from flexion (potentially enhanced proprioception) when wearing a helmet. This finding might allow development of a simple objective test to help discern presence of minor concussive or cervical musculoskeletal injury on or off the field.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Catastrophic Cervical Spine Injuries in Contact Sports

Study Design Systematic review. Objectives To determine the incidence of catastrophic cervical spine injuries (CCSIs) among elite athletes participating in contact team sports and whether the incidence varies depending on the use of protective gear or by player position. Methods Electronic databases and reference lists of key articles published from January 1, 2000, to January 29, 2016, were se...

متن کامل

Examining concussion rates and return to play in high school football players wearing newer helmet technology: a three-year prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare concussion rates and recovery times for athletes wearing newer helmet technology compared to traditional helmet design. METHODS This was a three-year, prospective, naturalistic, cohort study. Participants were 2,141 high school athletes from Western Pennsylvania. Approximately half of the sample wore the Revolution helmet manufactured by Ridd...

متن کامل

Clinical Studies Examining Concussion Rates and Return to Play in High School Football Players Wearing Newer Helmet Technology: a Three-year Prospective Cohort Study

Received, June 2, 2005. Accepted, December 5, 2005. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare concussion rates and recovery times for athletes wearing newer helmet technology compared to traditional helmet design. METHODS: This was a three-year, prospective, naturalistic, cohort study. Participants were 2,141 high school athletes from Western Pennsylvania. Approximately half of the sa...

متن کامل

Changes in body size of elite high school football players: 1963-1989.

An examination of the heights and weights of members of the Parade Magazine's High School All-American Football Teams from 1963-1971 indicates no significant changes in the Body Mass Index of these elite athletes whereas an increased pattern in Body Mass Index was noted within this group from 1972-1989. The large increases in Body Mass Index after 1971 among the All-American high school footbal...

متن کامل

Measurement of head impacts in collegiate football players: an investigation of positional and event-type differences.

OBJECTIVE There exists a need to better understand the biomechanical forces associated with head impacts in American football. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not differences in head accelerations existed between different player positions and different event types in collegiate football. We also sought to identify whether or not any associations existed between high-mag...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:

دوره 23  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2015