(60) SUBSEQUENT INJURIES FOLLOWING A SPORTS-RELATED CONCUSSION IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES: A CASE SERIES

Friday, July 14, 2023

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM East Coast USA Time

Location: Milano III-IV

Poster Presenter(s)

Sally Paulson, PhD, ATC, CSCS*D (she/her/hers)

Clinical Research Coordinator
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Author(s)

RH

Richard Harm

Clinical Research Coordinator
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Edgewood, Kentucky, United States
SH

Scott Helton

Director of Sports Medicine and Athletic Training Services
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Edgewood, Kentucky, United States
DM

Dawna Morris-Panko

Supervisor Athletic Training Services
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Edgewood, Kentucky, United States
TB

Tyler Browning

Physician
St. Elizabeth Physicians
Fort Thomas, Kentucky, United States

Abstract Details: Recently, it has been suggested concussions may be associated with an increased risk of a subsequent injury (SI), particularly within the lower extremity. Given the etiology of this relationship is not fully understood, it is important to recognize potential factors related to sports-related concussions (SRC) and subsequent injuries within a high school population.

Purpose: The purpose of this case series is to describe the SI occurring within 6-months of SRC within a sample of high school athletes.

Methods: Data were obtained on 103 athletes (67.0% male; M±SD: age = 16.0±1.2 yrs) from 16 area high schools. An electronic medical record system was used to search for a concussion evaluation completed by a certified athletic trainer between July and September 2019. High school athletes who sustained a SRC had their medical record reviewed for 6-months to determine if they endured a SI while playing a sport. Demographics and injury characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Majority of the 103 SCR occurred in football (n = 57, 55.3%) and soccer (n = 30, 29.1%) during a competition (n = 60, 58.3%). Forty (38.8%) athletes reported having sustained at least one previous concussion in their lifetime. Sixteen (15.5%) athletes went to the emergency room, and two (1.9%) experienced a loss of consciousness. The three most common symptoms reported immediately following the SRC were headache (n = 95, 92.2%), dizziness (n = 70, 68.0%), and sensitivity to light (n = 26, 25.2%); while those symptoms that developed later included sensitivity to light (n = 28, 27.2%), sensitivity to noise (n = 20, 19.4%), and fatigue (n = 17, 16.5%). Of the 103 student-athletes, 99 (96.1%) returned to play (RTP) within 15.0±8.6 days. Overall, 44 (42.7%) student-athletes sustained one SI and four of them had two SI within 6 months of the SRC. Most of the SI occurred in the lower extremity (n = 30, 62.5%) and were classified as a sprain (n = 23, 47.9%). Only 16 (33.3%) student-athletes reported previously injuring the body part. The average length of time from the initial SRC to the SI was 55.4±45.9 days, and 66.7% (n = 32) occurred during a competition.

Conclusion: These findings provide an overview of the characteristics associated with a SRC and the SI within a sample of high school student-athletes. Most SI occurred in the lower extremity within the first two months of RTP from the SRC. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: It is imperative for healthcare professionals to understand potential injury risk factors for high school athletes to design return to play protocols and injury reduction programs. As such, these types of protocols and programs may need to mitigate the risk of a subsequent injury, particularly in the lower extremity, following a sports-related concussion.

Acknowledgements: None