Head and neck injuries in professional soccer.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the rate of and risk factors for head and neck injury in male soccer.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Professional soccer.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-six European teams between 2001/2002 and 2009/2010.

ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS

Simple and multiple risk factor analyses were evaluated using Cox regression for player-related variables and logistic regression for match-related variables.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Injury rate (number of time loss injuries per 1000 hours).

RESULTS

A total of 136 head and neck injuries were recorded (2.2% of all injuries). The head and neck injury rate was 0.17 (0.06 concussions) per 1000 hours. There was a 20-fold higher rate of head and neck injury during match play compared with training (rate ratio [RR], 20.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.3-30.6) and a 78-fold higher rate of concussions (RR, 78.5; 95% CI, 24.4-252.5). Mean layoff for concussion was 10.5 days, but 27% of the concussed players returned to play within 5 days. Defender was the only significant player-related risk factor for head and neck injuries in the multiple analysis (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0-3.1), whereas no significant variables were identified for concussions.

CONCLUSIONS

Head and neck injuries were relatively uncommon in professional soccer. Defender was the playing position most at risk. More than one-quarter of the concussed players returned to play before what is recommended in the consensus statements by the major sports governing bodies.