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FOX 4: Study finds concussion concerns for girls

FOX 4: Study finds concussion concerns for girls

by | Sep 15, 2017 | Press Coverage, Sports Medicine

Visit FOX 4’s website to watch Miller’s full interview and learn more about the importance of following proper concussion protocol.

A new study found girls were significantly more likely than boys to return to play
the same day following a soccer-related concussion, placing them at risk for more significant
injury.

The study examined young athletes, average age 14, who sustained a concussion while playing
soccer and who were treated at a pediatric sports medicine clinic in Texas. Of the 87 athletes
diagnosed with a soccer-related concussion, two-thirds (66.7 percent) were girls. Among them,
more than half (51.7 percent) resumed playing in a game or practice the same day as their injury,
compared to just 17.2 percent of boys.

“The girl soccer players were 5 times more likely than boys to return to play on the same day as
their concussion,” said Shane M. Miller, MD, FAAP, senior author of the abstract and a sports
medicine physician at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. “This is cause for concern,
especially with previous studies showing that girls suffer twice as many concussions as boys,” he
said.

“Consistent with our findings in other sports, young soccer players are returning to play on the
same day despite recommendations from medical organizations, such as the American Academy
of Pediatrics, and laws in all 50 states intended to protect their growing brains,” he said. “Despite
increased concerns about the risks of concussions, the culture among athletes to tough it out and
play through an injury often takes priority over the importance of reporting an injury and coming
out of a game or practice.”

It’s Like a Science Fair for Health Care Professionals

It’s Like a Science Fair for Health Care Professionals

by | Mar 1, 2017 | Sports Medicine

Every year, kids try their hand at developing and conducting scientific research for the science fair. From growing mold to creating electrical circuits, they define their hypothesis, develop testing methods, perform the experiment, and then thoughtfully consider the results.

At Scottish Rite Hospital, we follow the same steps of the scientific method and continually share our results with our peers. Sometimes, we are even eligible for awards when we present our studies at conferences, just like at a local science fair. Our doctors and researchers travel both locally and internationally to present their research findings with the goal of spreading knowledge regarding specific pediatric orthopedic topics.

Recently, our pediatric sports medicine team presented a poster explaining the study and results from a review of sports-related concussion patients at the Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (TACSM) Annual Conference in Waco, Texas. This conference is designed to allow young researchers to showcase their work, receive feedback, and learn from experienced sports medicine researchers during lectures and educational events. The poster was considered as a finalist for the event’s “Doctoral Research Poster Award.” Aaron Zynda, research coordinator on the team, says, “It was an honor to be recognized with other researchers in the field of sports medicine and have the opportunity to present.”

The team previously presented preliminary results of this study at the American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference in the fall, but this time they focused on results for soccer players. The findings suggest that the soccer players are consistent with the larger group. Thirty-seven percent answered yes when asked if they continued to play or returned to play on the same day as their injury. An interesting trend was that in this small group, the girls were more likely to continue or return to play. This behavior puts the athlete at risk of having worse symptoms and a longer recovery.

Co-author Shane M. Miller, M.D., says, “The most important component of clinical research is to find out how to apply the results to the athletes that are under our care and others in the community and across the nation.” He’s on his way to Indianapolis to share the results of the larger study at the Youth Sports Safety Summit next week.

Learn more about our work in research, prevention, and clinical care for sports-related concussions.