Sports Medicine: Concussions in Sports

An estimated 10% of head and spinal cord injuries are due to sports-related activities. As the popularity of sports increases so does the incidence of sports-related injuries. In recent years, concussion has received significant media attention as high-profile athletes have come forward to share their experiences and long-term struggles with this specific type of traumatic brain injury. Public health initiatives such as the "Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports" program run by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have been developed to raise awareness regarding concussion injuries. These programs target not only athletes themselves but also include coaches, medical professionals, and parents to ensure that all individuals involved in sports, be it directly or peripherally, obtain the education required to prevent, correctly diagnose, and treat concussion. They are a testament to how elementary our understanding of concussion continues to be. They also demonstrate that misinformation and lack of awareness pose a significant obstacle to proper diagnosis and treatment. In this review, the authors discuss concussion both as a medical challenge and as a public health concern. The authors examine the definition as well as diagnostic criteria that have been agreed on during the Third International Conference on Concussion in Sport in Zurich 2008. Furthermore, current options and limitations in preventing and treating concussion are reviewed. Finally, the 2 most commonly used standardized grading systems as well as guidelines for return to play are reviewed. Overall, this article will offer health care providers and members of the general public alike the current understanding of concussion.