Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature Review

Head injuries in athletes are an increasingly common issue, not only in professional sports but also due to the growing number of amateurs participating in contact sports. These sports include not only martial arts such as boxing, judo, or MMA but also team sports, including some of the most popula...

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Main Authors: Kacper Hoksa, Aleksandra Broda, Krzysztof Jodłowski, Ewa Dubniewicz, Paula Majewska, Alicja Staszek, Wiktoria Łoskot, Mateusz Matczak, Jan Szwech, Karol Jasiński
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń 2025-02-01
Series:Quality in Sport
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Online Access:https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/57915
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author Kacper Hoksa
Aleksandra Broda
Krzysztof Jodłowski
Ewa Dubniewicz
Paula Majewska
Alicja Staszek
Wiktoria Łoskot
Mateusz Matczak
Jan Szwech
Karol Jasiński
author_facet Kacper Hoksa
Aleksandra Broda
Krzysztof Jodłowski
Ewa Dubniewicz
Paula Majewska
Alicja Staszek
Wiktoria Łoskot
Mateusz Matczak
Jan Szwech
Karol Jasiński
author_sort Kacper Hoksa
collection DOAJ
description Head injuries in athletes are an increasingly common issue, not only in professional sports but also due to the growing number of amateurs participating in contact sports. These sports include not only martial arts such as boxing, judo, or MMA but also team sports, including some of the most popular ones like soccer, rugby, American football, and hockey. The aim of this paper is to review the available literature on the frequency and mechanisms of head and neck injuries in various sports, as well as to propose possible methods for preventing these injuries and rehabilitation after they occur. The article discusses both acute and chronic injuries, as well as long-term health consequences. It highlights the need for further research in the field of biomechanics, athlete monitoring, and the development of effective health protection strategies for athletes. The article was prepared by analyzing multiple databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Elsevier. Conclusions: There is also a lack of conclusive evidence on the mechanisms behind these injuries, which makes it difficult to develop programs to reduce the frequency of neurological injuries. Many years of systematic research and athlete monitoring, with detailed documentation of all injuries, are needed. Additionally, further biomechanical analyses are required to understand the forces acting on athletes and how well protective equipment performs. Only after obtaining such results it will be possible to prepare better strategies to protect the health and life of athletes in these disciplines.
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publisher Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
record_format Article
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spelling doaj-art-e4aa6232a7564cf5a56f453c773f7a442025-08-20T02:48:29ZengNicolaus Copernicus University in ToruńQuality in Sport2450-31182025-02-013810.12775/QS.2025.38.57915Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature ReviewKacper Hoksa0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9832-7093Aleksandra Brodahttps://orcid.org/0009-0004-5179-9411Krzysztof Jodłowski https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9041-2091Ewa Dubniewiczhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-4191-6794Paula Majewskahttps://orcid.org/0009-0003-7934-397XAlicja Staszekhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-0323-8697Wiktoria Łoskothttps://orcid.org/0009-0001-5392-4835Mateusz Matczakhttps://orcid.org/0009-0000-9701-406XJan Szwechhttps://orcid.org/0009-0002-9312-8152Karol Jasińskihttps://orcid.org/0009-0004-6845-5199Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Lodz, ul. Północna 42, 91–425 Łódź Head injuries in athletes are an increasingly common issue, not only in professional sports but also due to the growing number of amateurs participating in contact sports. These sports include not only martial arts such as boxing, judo, or MMA but also team sports, including some of the most popular ones like soccer, rugby, American football, and hockey. The aim of this paper is to review the available literature on the frequency and mechanisms of head and neck injuries in various sports, as well as to propose possible methods for preventing these injuries and rehabilitation after they occur. The article discusses both acute and chronic injuries, as well as long-term health consequences. It highlights the need for further research in the field of biomechanics, athlete monitoring, and the development of effective health protection strategies for athletes. The article was prepared by analyzing multiple databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Elsevier. Conclusions: There is also a lack of conclusive evidence on the mechanisms behind these injuries, which makes it difficult to develop programs to reduce the frequency of neurological injuries. Many years of systematic research and athlete monitoring, with detailed documentation of all injuries, are needed. Additionally, further biomechanical analyses are required to understand the forces acting on athletes and how well protective equipment performs. Only after obtaining such results it will be possible to prepare better strategies to protect the health and life of athletes in these disciplines. https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/57915head injuriescontact sportpreventionconcussiontraumatic encephalopathy
spellingShingle Kacper Hoksa
Aleksandra Broda
Krzysztof Jodłowski
Ewa Dubniewicz
Paula Majewska
Alicja Staszek
Wiktoria Łoskot
Mateusz Matczak
Jan Szwech
Karol Jasiński
Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature Review
Quality in Sport
head injuries
contact sport
prevention
concussion
traumatic encephalopathy
title Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature Review
title_full Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature Review
title_fullStr Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature Review
title_full_unstemmed Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature Review
title_short Head Injuries in Contact Sports – Literature Review
title_sort head injuries in contact sports literature review
topic head injuries
contact sport
prevention
concussion
traumatic encephalopathy
url https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/57915
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AT ewadubniewicz headinjuriesincontactsportsliteraturereview
AT paulamajewska headinjuriesincontactsportsliteraturereview
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