Lang Martin A, Tucker Ross, Edwards Suzi, Iverson Grant L, Gardner Andrew J
School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Sports Med Open. 2024 Apr 17;10(1):43. doi: 10.1186/s40798-024-00696-7.
The rugby league tackle has been identified as the game event with the greatest propensity for a clinically diagnosed concussion. This study aims to replicate the work conducted in professional rugby league and rugby union by examining Head Injury Assessment (HIA) events to determine the associated tackle characteristics that increase concussion risk in sub-elite rugby league players. This comparison between competition levels is important due to the less developed physiological and tackle proficiency characteristics of sub-elite rugby league players and the fewer resources available for an on-field diagnosis, compared to the elite level of the sport.
Tackles resulting in Head Injury Assessments (HIAs, n = 131) and 2,088 tackles that did not result in a head injury were identified and coded from one season of the 2019 Queensland Cup. The body position of both ball carrier and tackler, tackle height, and body contact areas were evaluated. The propensity for tacklers to undergo a head injury assessment was 1.49 HIAs per 1,000 tackles, equating to a 2.5-fold higher risk than that of the ball carrier (0.59 HIAs per 1,000 tackles). The risk for an HIA was 2.75-fold greater when the tackler was upright (2.89 HIAs per 1,000 tackles) compared to a bent-at-the-waist tackler (1.05 HIAs per 1,000 tackles). The greatest risk for the tackler and ball carrier sustaining an HIA occurred when the tackle height was high, with head-to-head contact having the greatest propensity for an HIA (44.37 HIAs per 1,000 tackles). HIA risk was also greater for both players when the ball carrier did not employ an evasion strategy (3.73 HIAs per 1,000 tackles).
The study replicates results from research in elite rugby league and rugby union. A combination of higher head contact/proximity and upright body position significantly increase an HIA risk. Tackler head position and ball carrier evasion behaviours also affect risk, suggesting that injury prevention strategies designed to reduce tackle height and improve tackle technique by focusing on head position, body position, and in a novel finding, ball carrier evasion, may reduce head injury risk in sub-elite rugby league players.
橄榄球联盟的擒抱动作已被认定为临床诊断脑震荡发生率最高的比赛项目。本研究旨在通过检查头部损伤评估（HIA）事件，复制在职业橄榄球联盟和橄榄球联合会中开展的工作，以确定在次精英级橄榄球联盟球员中增加脑震荡风险的相关擒抱特征。由于次精英级橄榄球联盟球员的生理机能和擒抱技术水平发展相对不足，且与精英级赛事相比，现场诊断可用资源较少，因此对不同比赛水平进行这种比较很重要。
从2019年昆士兰杯的一个赛季中识别并编码了导致头部损伤评估（HIA，n = 131）的擒抱动作以及2088次未导致头部受伤的擒抱动作。对持球者和擒抱者的身体姿势、擒抱高度以及身体接触部位进行了评估。擒抱者接受头部损伤评估的发生率为每1000次擒抱中有1.49次HIA，这相当于比持球者的风险高2.5倍（每1000次擒抱中有0.59次HIA）。与腰部弯曲的擒抱者（每1000次擒抱中有1.05次HIA）相比，擒抱者直立时发生HIA的风险高2.75倍（每1000次擒抱中有2.89次HIA）。擒抱高度较高时，擒抱者和持球者遭受HIA的风险最大，头部对头部的接触导致HIA的可能性最大（每1000次擒抱中有44.37次HIA）。当持球者未采用闪避策略时，两名球员发生HIA的风险也更高（每1000次擒抱中有3.73次HIA）。
该研究复制了精英级橄榄球联盟和橄榄球联合会研究的结果。头部接触/靠近程度较高与直立身体姿势相结合会显著增加HIA风险。擒抱者的头部位置和持球者的闪避行为也会影响风险，这表明旨在通过关注头部位置、身体姿势以及一项新发现的持球者闪避来降低擒抱高度和改进擒抱技术的预防损伤策略，可能会降低次精英级橄榄球联盟球员的头部受伤风险。
