The location of impact is not predictive of concussion outcome in football collisions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that annually, up to 3.8 million sport-related concussions occur in the United States.1 For adolescents and young adults, sports, such as football, account for a substantial proportion of these concussions.

There has been little research assessing the role of impact location on concussion outcome.  A recent study published online, August 14, 2014 in the Journal Pediatrics, Impact Locations and Concussion Outcomes in High School Football Player-to-Player Collisions, attempts to answer this question.

The study concluded that, “among high school football players who sustained concussions due to player-to-player collisions, concussion outcomes were generally independent of impact location.”

Pediatrics 2014;134:489–496