Concussion Recovery Timeline of High School Athletes Using A Stepwise Return-to-Play Protocol: Age and Sex Effects.

Context: Implementation of a stepwise return-to-play (RTP) protocol has become the standard management strategy for high school athletes to ensure a safe RTP after concussion. The detailed characteristics of the recovery timeline throughout the steps of an RTP protocol have not been delineated among the adolescent population.

Objective: To investigate the days spent in each step of the stepwise RTP protocol in an adolescent population and examine the effects of age and sex on recovery time.