Impact of Playing Surface on Concussion Symptoms in Young American Football Players

Abstract

Objective: It has been suggested that sport-related concussion (SRC) occurs more commonly on natural grass compared with artificial turf in contact sports. As playing surface is a potentially modifiable risk factor, this study sought to identify differences in symptoms following SRC on these 2 surfaces in a sample of young American football players. Design: Prospective. Setting: Part of the multi-institutional North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex) research project. Participants: Ten-year-old to 24-year-old male American football players (n = 62) who had sustained a helmet-to-ground SRC and presented to a specialty concussion clinic within 14 days of injury. Independent Variables: Helmeted impact with grass (n = 33) or artificial turf (n = 29). Main Outcome Measures: Severity and number of symptoms endorsed on the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition (SCAT5) Symptom Evaluation at the time of initial clinical evaluation. Results: Both groups were similar in mean time since injury, concussion history, and history of headache, but the artificial turf group was slightly older, with a mean age of 14.6 versus 13.6 years (P = 0.039). Athletes who sustained a SRC on grass reported significantly higher mean total symptom severity scores (26.6 vs 11.6, P = 0.005) and total number of symptoms (10.3 vs 5.9, P = 0.006) compared with those who were injured on artificial turf. Conclusions: This may be the first study to examine postconcussive symptoms after SRC as they relate to playing surface. This small sample of young American football players reported higher symptom severity scores and higher total number of symptoms after SRC on natural grass compared with artificial turf.