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Citation
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Cools M, Zuckerman S, Herzog M, Mack C, Lee RY, Solomon G, Sills A. World Neurosurg. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Sport-related concussion (SRC) prevention and management is a focus of the National Football League (NFL). While most prior reports evaluate SRC incidence, few have studied same-year repeat concussions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of same-year repeat concussions in the NFL.
METHODS: A retrospective, case-control study of same-year repeat concussion in the NFL from 2015-2019 was performed. The electronic health record of the NFL was reviewed for players sustaining concussions and same-year repeat concussions. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to calculate same-year repeat concussion rates, and risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using log-binomial regression.
RESULTS: From 2015-2019, the risk of sustaining a same-year repeat concussion in the NFL ranged from 0.38% to 0.69% per season. Among players who sustained a concussion, the risk of a same-year repeat concussion ranged from 5.3% to 8.3%, which did not differ significantly from the risk of sustaining a single concussion, which ranged from 6.2% to 8.3%. There was a median of 38 participation days between initial and same-year repeat concussion. Players missed more time from same-year repeat concussion (median 12 days) compared to both single (median 9 days; p<0.0001) and initial (median 9.5 days, p=0.002) concussions.
CONCLUSIONS: The risk of a repeat concussion was similar to the risk of sustaining a single concussion among NFL players. More time was missed following a same-year repeat concussion compared to single or initial concussions. Further research is needed to maximize player safety and minimize same-year repeat concussions.
Language: en |