Sudden Death Among Youth Sport Athletes in the United States

Epidemiology of Sudden Death in Organized Youth Sports in the United States, 2007-2015

Endres BD, Kerr ZY, Stearns RL, Adams WM, Hosokawa Y, Huggins RA, Kucera KL, Casa DJ. Journal of Athletic Training. 2019;54(4):349–355

Full Text Freely Available

Take Home Message: During the years 2007-2015, there were 45 sudden deaths among youth sport athletes (middle school, youth leagues, recreational sports). Sudden deaths were typically cardiac related (76%) and most common among males or basketball players and during practice (71%).

In the year 2015 alone, more than 28 million youth athletes between the ages of 6 and 17 years participated in sports. While researchers have extensively studied sudden death in athletics in high school or collegiate populations, little is known about sudden death among individuals who compete in youth sports outside of the high school setting. Therefore, Endres and colleagues described the epidemiology of sudden death among athletes aged 6 to 17 years participating in organized middle school, youth league, or recreational sports in the United States.

Taking Steps after Ankle Sprains (Webinar)

Danielle Torp, a Sports Med Res contributor and PhD Student at the University of North Caroline - Charlotte, leads our webinar entitled "Taking Steps after Ankle Sprains".

Conservative Management May Reduce Repetitive Concussions

Return to play and risk of repeat concussion in collegiate football players: comparative analysis from the NCAA Concussion Study (1999–2001) and CARE Consortium (2014–2017)         

McCrea M, Broglio S, McAllister T, Zhou W, Zhao S, Katz B, Kudela M, Harezlak J, Nelson L, Meier T, Marshall SW, Guskiewicz KM, On behalf of CARE Consortium Investigators. Br J Sports Med. 2019 [Epub ahead of print]

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2019/05/08/bjsports-2019-100579

Take Home Message: College football players diagnosed with a concussion are being managed more conservatively with stricter return-to-play protocols, which may be related to a lower risk of repeat concussions during a season compared to 15 years ago.

Over the past 15 years, an increase in concussion awareness and research has lead to new policies, rule changes in sport, and enhanced concussion assessment and management protocols. Understanding how these changes influence outcomes, such as the risk of repeat concussion, may help support current policies and consensus recommendations. Hence, the authors compared data from two prospective cohorts to examine if injury management, return to play (RTP), and risk of repeated concussions among collegiate football players changed over 15 years.

Appropriate Medical Care Standards for Organizations Sponsoring Athletic Activity for the Secondary School-Aged Athlete: A Summary Statement

Appropriate Medical Care Standards for Organizations Sponsoring Athletic Activity for the Secondary School-Aged Athlete: A Summary Statement.

Cooper L, Harper R, Wham GS Jr, Cates J, Chafin SJ Jr, Cohen RP, Dompier TP, Huggins RA, Newman D, Peterson B, McLeod TCV. J Athl Train. 2019 May 28. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-544-18. [Epub ahead of print]

Full Text is Freely Available

A new task force has reviewed the 2004 Appropriate Medical Care for Secondary School-Aged Athlete consensus points and updated them based on the latest evidence. The new appropriate medical care standards were approved by the NATA Board of Directors in 2018. The authors address 12 standards and highlights an online toolkit to help schools and organizations address the standards included in this document.

View 197 other recent position statements, consensus statements, guidelines, and recommendations related to sports medicine.

Getting to the Core of Overuse Lower Extremity Injury Risk Factors

Impaired Core Stability as a Risk Factor for the Development of Lower Extremity Overuse Injuries: A Prospective Cohort Study

De Blaiser C, De Ridder R, Willems T, Vanden Bossche L, Danneels L, Roosen P. Am J Sports Med. 2019 Apr 29:363546519837724. doi: 10.1177/0363546519837724. [Epub ahead of print]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31034240

Take Home Message: A college freshman with dynamic postural control limb imbalances, decreased hip extension strength, or decreased core muscle endurance during bridging exercises is more likely to develop a lower extremity overuse injury.

Core stability is important for lower extremity alignment and control, and may relate to lower extremity overuse injuries. However, we lack information on how different tests of core performance are linked to injury risk among recreationally active young adults. Therefore, the authors performed a prospective 1.5-year study among 139 healthy freshmen students enrolled in physical education courses, and evaluated if different measures of core strength, endurance, or control related to future overuse lower extremity injury.

Wake Up Call for Collegiate Athlete Sleep: Narrative Review and Consensus Recommendations from the NCAA Interassociation Task Force on Sleep and Wellness

Wake up call for collegiate athlete sleep: narrative review and consensus recommendations from the NCAA Interassociation Task Force on Sleep and Wellness.

Kroshus E, Wagner J, Wyrick D, Athey A, Bell L, Benjamin HJ, Grandner MA, Kline CE, Mohler JM, Roxanne Prichard J, Watson NF, Hainline B. Br J Sports Med. 2019 May 16. pii: bjsports-2019-100590. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-100590. [Epub ahead of print]

Full Text is Not Freely Available

The National Collegiate Athletic Association hosted a sleep summit in 2017 to address the lack of guidelines for sleep management and restorative sleep for collegiate athletes. Members of the Interassociation Task Force on Sleep and Wellness provided a review of four topics related to collegiate athlete sleep: “(1) sleep patterns and disorders among collegiate athletes; (2) sleep and optimal functioning among athletes; (3) screening, tracking and assessment of athlete sleep; and (4) interventions to improve sleep.” They also provided five recommendations.

View 196 other recent position statements, consensus statements, guidelines, and recommendations related to sports medicine.

Treat the Whole Patient, Not Just the Injury

Athletic Trainers’ Influence on National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athletes’ Basic Psychological Needs During Sport Injury Rehabilitation

Bejar MP, Raabe J, Zakrajsek RA, Fisher LA, Clement D. J Athl Train, 2019. doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-112-18

Full Text Freely Available

Take Home Message: An athlete’s overall motivation during rehabilitation of an athletic injury is enriched when their psychological needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness are met. Athletic Trainers have the unique ability to foster these needs while treating an injured athlete.

Many athletes will have negative thoughts and experiences during injury recovery, which may adversely affect their motivation and willingness to adhere to rehabilitation protocols. An athlete’s ability to be motivated during injury rehabilitation relies on 3 psychological needs during the recovery process:

1.  competence = “successfully performing tasks and adapting to the demands of the environment”

2.  autonomy  = “having meaningful input into decisions and acting in accordance with one’s values”

3.  relatedness = “feeling connected, valued, and accepted by important” people

However, we poorly understand how an injured athlete thinks an athletic trainer (AT) can influence their motivation and psychological needs during the rehabilitation process. Therefore, the authors conducted interviews with 10 NCAA Division I athletes (7 females) who had sustained an injury (<1 year prior to interview) that resulted in at least 4 weeks of removal from practice and competitions.