Apr 21, 2017Measuring Impact
Head impact monitors have more utility in protecting student-athletes, rather than diagnosing concussions, says a new study. Although these monitors give athletic trainers and other clinicians some context about what’s happened, they shouldn’t be used to replace professional judgment.
“However, by monitoring impact exposure, [head impact measurement devices] have promoted design interventions that reduce the number of head impacts sustained by players over a season,” a study reported by USA Today High School Sports concludes.
The study examined the effectiveness of head impact measurement devices by doing a systematic review of prior research. Overall, four devices were included in the study, representing data reported in 61 peer-reviewed articles.
The study was published in a special issue of the Journal of Athletic Training. It highlights current concussion research from several perspectives, helping to show how far we’ve come in our knowledge about concussions.
“No sports medicine topic is more polarizing than concussion, and today’s standard of care supersedes where we were just a decade ago,” Steven Broglio, PhD, ATC, Director of the Neurotrauma Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan and special issue guest editor, wrote in the journal. “With validated measures, more and more of the guesswork is being removed from the process. While many questions persist about more sophisticated diagnostic measures, rehabilitation and long-term effects of injury, we continue to make great progress, remain current on research and new techniques and provide the best possible care for our patients at any level of sport or activity.”
