Objectives
Concussion is the most common match
injury in professional Rugby Union, accounting for 25%
of match injuries. The primary prevention of head injuries
requires that the injury mechanism be known so that
interventions can be targeted to specifically overall
incidence by focusing on characteristics with the greatest
propensity to cause a head injury.
Methods
611 head injury assessment (HIA) events
in professional Rugby Union over a 3-year period were
analysed, with specific reference to match events,
position, time and nature of head contact.
Results
464 (76%) of HIA events occur during
tackles, with the tackler experiencing a significantly
greater propensity for an HIA than the ball carrier (1.40
HIAs/1000 tackles for the tackler vs 0.54 HIAs/1000
tackles for the ball carrier, incidence rate ratio (IRR)
2.59). Propensity was significantly greater for backline
players than forwards (IRR 1.54, 95%CI 1.28 to 1.84),
but did not increase over the course of the match. Head
to head contact accounted for the most tackler HIAs,
with the greatest propensity.
Conclusions
By virtue of its high propensity
and frequency, the tackle should be the focus for
interventions that may include law change and technique
education. A specific investigation of the characteristics
of the tackle is warranted to refine the approach to
preventative strategies
