Litigation

American Association of Neurological Surgeons devotes portion of web site to information on sports related brain injury

By Michael Kaplen

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) has dedicated a section of its website to sports-related head injuries, which contribute to about 21% of traumatic brain injuries among American children and adolescents.

According to AANS, there were an estimated 446,788 sports-related head injuries treated at U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2009, representing an increase of about 95,000 from the prior year. The sports that yielded the most head injuries in 2009 were cycling (85,389); football (46,948); baseball and softball (38,394); basketball (34,692); and water sports (21,184).

AANS offers specific sports-related brain injury information for several sports, including:

Boxing: Several studies have found that 15-40% of ex-boxers have some symptoms of chronic brain injury. From the 1960s through 2007, 80% of the 421 boxing-related deaths have been attributed to head, brain or neck injuries.

Cheerleading: 96% of reported concussions and closed-head injuries were preceded by the cheerleader performing a stunt.

Cycling: Each year there are more than 500,000 bicycle-related injuries. In 2009, about 85,000 of those were head injuries.

Football: The annual incidence of football-related concussion in the United States is estimated at 300,000.

Horseback riding: A 2007 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that horseback riding resulted in 11.7 percent of all traumatic brain injuries in recreational sports from 2001 to 2005, the highest of any athletic activity.

Snow skiing/ snowboarding: Severe head trauma accounts for about 15% of all skiing and snowboarding related injuries but is the most frequent cause of death and severe disability.

Soccer: A McGill University study found that more than 60% of college-level soccer players reported symptoms of a discussion during a single season.

Learn more about sports-related brain injury, including injury prevention tips; comprehensive definitions related to sports-related injuries; and information about rule changes in college football to prevent head and neck injuries by clicking here .

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on October 14, 2010 (boomark / email).