The collegiate spring football season, which currently consists of five noncontact and ten contact practices, has been associated with a high incidence of injury. This study uses NCAA Injury Surveillance System (ISS) data to compare injury patterns in collegiate fall (FF) and spring (SF) football over the past four seasons. A reportable injury was defined as restricting the athlete's participating for at least one day. An athlete-exposure (A-E) was recorded for each individual participating in each practice or game. Results showed that the four-year practice injury rate for SF (9.0 injuries/1000 A-E) was more than double that of FF (4.0 injuries/1000 A-E). The top three types of injuries (knee, ankle, and shoulder) were identical in SF and FF with similar percentages of all reported injuries. Specific analysis of injury severity (time loss and required surgery), concussions, and new injuries also showed a higher rate in spring practice. There was little difference in the types of injuries that occurred in SF and FF: the SF injury incidence was just greater. Variables such as training, intensity, and recovery time may be factors in the increased SF injury rates. Reducing the number of contact practices in the spring may be one way of normalizing injury rates.

Abstracts of papers presented at the Symposium on Safety in American Football, held in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 5-7, 1994.

Written and edited by internationally known experts in primary care sports medicine, this book is the most comprehensive sports medicine reference geared to primary care practitioners. It is the ideal text for physicians studying for the Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine that is now offered in many disciplines including family practice, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and osteopathic medicine. This revised and updated Second Edition is published in association with the American College of Sports Medicine, and includes more practical information. The new, more user-friendly format features numerous illustrations, charts, and tables, including full-color illustrations.

Netter’s Sports Medicine, by Christopher C. Madden, MD, Margot Putukian, MD, FACSM, Craig C. Young, MD, and Eric C. McCarty, MD, is a reference designed to help you meet the challenges presented by your patients in this growing interdisciplinary field. More than 1,000 Netter images, along with photos of physical examination techniques and imaging examples, provide a rich visual understanding, while a bulleted text format, combined with a user-friendly organization by specific types of injuries as well as different types of sports, makes reference quick and easy. Discussions of a full range of sports—traditional as well as less common—ensure that the coverage is comprehensive and up to date. From pre-participation exams, musculoskeletal injuries, sports nutrition, and sports psychology...to general medical problems in athletes...this reference equips you with the guidance you need to keep your patients at the top of their game. Presents more than 1,000 Netter illustrations accompanied by photos of physical examination techniques, radiographs, and other imaging techniques—including CT and MRI—that equip you with a rich visual understanding of sports medicine. Features a bulleted text format for quick-read guidance. Organizes information by specific types of injuries as well as different types of sports for an easy-to-access reference. Discusses traditional along with less common sports for comprehensive coverage that is up to date. Includes a section that examines considerations for specific athlete populations, including children, women, the senior athlete and the physically challenged, to help you meet their special needs. Presents the cross-disciplinary contributions of primary care physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapists, dentists, orthopaedic surgeons, and others, who provide a well-rounded perspective on the subject. Combines current, evidence-based information with expert clinical guidance for a high-yield reference.

The NCAA Injury Surveillance System (ISS) was used to evaluate head and neck injuries in twelve intercollegiate sports for 3-6 years through the 1990 season. Sports were categorized as those with and without mandated head protection. Prevalence of head and neck injuries were expressed as both a percentage of all reported injuries in a specific sport (%) as well as an injury rate (IR). In addition the primary injury mechanism was noted. Concussions were also listed as a percentage of all reported injuries in a sport and as an injury rate. Of the sports with no head protection, field hockey, men's soccer and women's soccer had the highest prevalence of head injuries and concussions expressed as both % or IR. Ice hockey and football had the highest head injury values of the sports with head protection. Wrestling and football showed the highest % and IR for neck injury.

Background: Lower extremity injuries are prevalent in collegiate football. According to Rechel et al [3], a study that tracked collegiate football injuries from 1988-2004, 55.7% of injuries suffered during spring practice were lower extremity. The same study also found that 17.6% of all injuries suffered during fall games were due to knee injuries, 15.6% were ankle, and 3.6% were upper leg muscle or tendon strain. It appears that in the sport of football, injuries to the lower extremity are the most prevalent in collegiate athlete. It is likely that risk identification and prevention could help to reduce these injury rates. Therefore, the development of clinical prediction tools incorporated in a pre-participation exam that could help in identifying athletes who are at risk for lower extremity injuries is vitally important. One of these examination tools is the FMS. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if the FMS composite score can predict injury of the lower extremity in Division I collegiate football players. A secondary purpose was to determine a cut-off score on a modified/lower extremity only FMS that can predict injury. A tertiary purpose was to examine the ability of the FMS to predict contact vs. non-contact lower extremity injuries in collegiate football athletes. Methods: 70 Division I college football players were screened pre-season using the Functional Movement Screen. Total scores out of 21 were recorded. Injuries and exposures were tracked throughout the season by the certified athletic trainer assigned to the University of Toledo football team. Results: When comparing the FMS between injured and non-injured groups, there were no statistically significant differences on any of the FMS scores (p>.05). The full FMS had a cut-off score of 18.5; MFMS 4 stations showed a cut-off score at 11.5 and the MFMS 3 stations had a cut-off score of 8.5. The MFMS 4 had the highest diagnostic odds ratio of 3.57. Only the MFMS 4 had a sensitivity that exceeded 0.70. Discussion: The cut-off scores found in this study were seen to be much higher than previous FMS studies. The MFMS 4 within this relatively small sample size shows promise of injury prediction capabilities with its moderate sensitivity. Further research should be done to exam this possibility. Conclusion: Both the full and modified versions of the FMS could not statistically differentiate injured football players. However, there may be some diagnostic usefulness within the MFMS 4 and further research should exam this possibility.