Athletes may have higher risk of concussion on artificial grass

An evaluation of various out of doors enjoying surfaces means that falls on synthetic turf could pose a better concussion danger than pure grass

By Tiffany O’Callaghan

Athletes enjoying on artificial grass surfaces could also be at larger danger for concussion than these enjoying on pure grass.

Amongst highschool athletes within the US, about 20 per cent of concussions consequence from the individual hitting their head on the enjoying floor.

Synthetic turf is changing into more and more in style throughout the nation: it’s estimated that there are at present greater than 16,000 artificial grass fields within the US, and as many as 1500 new ones being constructed every year.

A number of research have proven that ankle and knee accidents are extra frequent on more durable artificial enjoying fields in comparison with grass, each amongst skilled athletes and beginner gamers. But Ian Chun on the College of Hawaii says there isn’t “very a lot data on completely different charges of concussions on account of area hardness”.

Chun performed a collection of experiments wherein he dropped a 20-kilogram model onto 10 pure grass enjoying fields and 9 synthetic turf surfaces. Chun positioned accelerometers onto the correct ear, prime of the top and brow of the model, earlier than becoming it with an American soccer helmet. He then dropped it off a desk from a top of 170 centimetres – chosen to simulate the peak of a teen athlete – with the model touchdown both on its left facet, entrance or again and measured the impression.

After 1710 complete drops, Chun discovered that impression deceleration – a measure of how abruptly one thing in movement is delivered to a halt – was considerably larger on artificial enjoying fields in all three falling positions. Relying on drop place, deceleration measured in g-forces was as a lot as 23 g larger on synthetic grass in comparison with pure surfaces. Earlier analysis has proven that an impression of 40 g or larger will increase the possibility for concussion, however some individuals can maintain a concussion at decrease forces.

“Our research means that artificial fields are a more durable enjoying floor. This interprets to a theoretical elevated danger of concussion on account of contact with enjoying surfaces,” says Chun, who’s presenting this work on 8 October on the American Academy of Pediatrics Convention and Exhibition in California.

Sudden deceleration of the mind throughout the cranium is understood to be a explanation for concussion. “I feel future analysis in observing precise charges of concussions in several enjoying fields and environments could be an attention-grabbing follow-up research and solidify the hyperlink between more durable enjoying surfaces and concussion dangers,” says Chun.

Kristen Dams-O’Connor at on the Icahn College of Drugs at Mount Sinai in New York says that these findings level to a doable method that we might scale back damage danger. “We’re at this very attention-grabbing crossroads now the place proof has accrued that even within the absence of a concussion, there’s danger to mind well being involved sports activities,” she says.

Dams-O’Connor says she’d wish to see further work confirming the outcomes and conducting related exams of different enjoying surfaces.  “We must be contemplating each doable avenue to make sports activities safer,” she says.