Catastrophic head injuries in football higher at high school level than college level
The incidence of catastrophic head injuries in football is dramatically higher at the high school level than at the college level, according to a study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Catastrophic head injuries, which include brain bleeding and swelling, are rare and can be devastating. Athletes with major brain injuries may be left with permanent brain damage. According to lead author, Barry P. Boden, M.D., from the Orthopedic Center in Rockville, Md., high school football players have more than three times the risk of a catastrophic head injury than their college peers. Boden and coauthors also found a high percentage of high school athletes playing with neurologic symptoms from a previous head injury at the time they sustained a catastrophic injury.
