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Risk Factors for Concussion in Under 18, Under 22 and Professional Men's Rugby Union: A Video Analysis of 14,809
Takayuki Kawasaki1, Yuta Kawakami2, Shuko Nojiri3
1Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan. k-saki@luck.ocn.ne.jp.
Sports Medicine - Open
|October 14, 2023
Summary
Rugby concussions are more common in elite players. Head-in-front tackles, especially side-on tackles to the lower body, pose the highest risk for concussion in Rugby Union.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Concussions are a significant concern in Rugby Union.
- Understanding tackle-related risk factors is crucial for injury prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific risk factors for tackle-related concussions in Under 18, Under 22, and professional men's Rugby Union players.
- To analyze tackle characteristics and their association with concussion incidence.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive epidemiology study analyzing 60 randomly selected Rugby Union matches.
- Video analysis of 14,809 tackles across different age groups (U18, U22, Elite).
- Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (Lasso) regression and simulation modeling to identify high-risk tackle situations.
Main Results:
- Concussion incidence rate was highest in Elite players (4.0/1000 tackles) compared to U18 (1.9) and U22 (2.4).
- Head-in-front tackles were strongly associated with concussions (11.26/1000 tackles), particularly in U18 players.
- Simulation predicted the highest risk for Elite players in head-in-front, side-on tackles below the hip (18.07/1000 tackles).
Conclusions:
- Risk factors for concussion in Rugby Union require careful assessment.
- Avoiding head-in-front, side-on tackles to the lower extremities may reduce concussion risk.
