Background: The extent to which concussions affect Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) athletes has not been thoroughly examined.
Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and impact of concussion injuries occurring in the WNBA.
Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.
Methods: Publicly available records were searched to identify all documented basketball-related concussions from WNBA seasons 1997 to 2020. Player demographics, injury details, and basketball career information were collected. Concussion incidence and return-to-play (RTP) timing were evaluated before and after the institution of the WNBA concussion protocol in 2012. Minutes per game and game score per minute were compared 5 games before and 5 games after the concussion was sustained. Player game availability and RTP performance were also compared with an age-, body mass index-, position-, and experience-matched control group of players who did not sustain any injuries during the index season.
Results: A total of 70 concussions among 55 players were reported in the WNBA from 1997 to 2020, with a mean incidence of 2.9 ± 2.3 concussions per season. After the implementation of the WNBA concussion protocol, the incidence significantly increased from 1.7 to 5.0 concussions per season ( < .001). All players returned after a first-time concussion, missing a mean of 3.8 ± 4.7 games and 17.9 ± 20.7 days. After the adoption of the concussion protocol, the time to RTP significantly increased with games missed ( = .006) and days missed ( = .006). Minutes per game and game score per minute were not significantly affected by sustaining a concussion ( = .451 and = .826, respectively).
Conclusion: Since the adoption of the WNBA concussion protocol in the 2012 season, the incidence of concussions increased significantly. Athletes retained a high rate of RTP after missing a median of 4 games, and the time to RTP increased after the institution of the concussion protocol. Player game availability and performance within the same season were not significantly affected by concussion injuries after a successful RTP.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9310240 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23259671221105257 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Prevalence of microvascular complications and associated factors among diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Microvasc Res
December 2024
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Woldia University, P.O. box 400, Woldia, Ethiopia; Research Center for Tuberculosis and Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Prinshof, 0084 Pretoria, South Africa.
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic abnormality affecting 537 million people worldwide. Poor glycemic control, longer duration, and poor medication adherence increased the risk of DM complications. Comprehensive evidence on the pooled prevalence of microvascular complications in DM patients in Ethiopia is not available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTime to Rehabilitation in Pediatric Concussion Patients Influences Recovery Outcomes.
J Sport Rehabil
December 2024
Children's Health Andrews Institute, Plano, TX, USA.
Context: Targeted and directed rehabilitation with a healthcare provider can be an effective approach in the treatment of concussion, particularly for patients with protracted recovery, high symptom reporting, cervicogenic dysfunction, musculoskeletal involvement, and/or vestibular/oculomotor dysfunction. While many environmental and intrinsic medical history factors may influence concussion recovery, little is known about whether an individual's recovery trajectory can be influenced by the amount of time taken to receive rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate recovery trajectories of concussion patients requiring targeted multimodal rehabilitation after a specialty concussion clinic visit within ≤3 days, 4 to 7 days, and >7 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough concussion management and return to play/learn decision making focuses on reducing symptoms, there is growing interest in objective physiological approaches to treatment. Clinical and technological advancements have aided concussion management; however, the scientific study of the neurophysiology of concussion has not translated into its standard of care. This expert commentary is motivated by novel clinical applications of electroencephalographic-based neurofeedback approaches (eg, quantitative electroencephalography [QEEG]) for treating traumatic brain injury and emerging research interest in its translation for treating concussion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe MPCETT: Assessing the Safety and Utility of Exercise Tolerance Testing in Children With Concussion Ages 6 to 12.
Clin J Sport Med
December 2024
Department of Clinical Development, Roivant Sciences, New York, New York.
Objective: Treadmill test protocols for concussion assessment have been validated for patients aged 13 years and older; however, no evidence-based guidelines exist for younger children. We designed and assessed the safety and utility of the Morahan Pediatric Concussion Exercise Tolerance Test (MPCETT) for assessing exercise tolerance in symptomatic children (SC) and recovered, asymptomatic children (AC) from 6 to 12 years of age.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Detecting Mild Traumatic Brain Injury after Combat Deployment: Agreement Between Veterans Health Administration Clinical System and LIMBIC-CENC Research Protocol.
J Neurotrauma
December 2024
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Identifying historical mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is important for many clinical care reasons; however, diagnosing mild TBI is inherently challenging and utility of screening is unknown. This study compares a standardized research process to an established clinical process for screening and diagnosis of historical mild TBI during combat deployment in a military/Veteran cohort. Using validated instruments, the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC) prospective longitudinal study (PLS) screens for all potential concussive events (PCEs) and conducts structured concussion diagnostic interviews for each PCE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!