Evaluation of sport-related concussion factors at baseline in a cohort of collegiate rugby union players

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a growing concern in Rugby Union (RU) and SRC's relationship to intrinsic and extrinsic factors is unknown. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to describe the relationship between these factors in collegiate RU players. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors included: age, weight, height, position of play (POP), previous SRCs, previous neck injuries; cervical flexor and extensor endurance; cervical anterolateral flexion strength (CAFS); and joint position error (JPE). Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions were calculated. Inferential statistics determined: correlations between factors; differences between positional subgroups; and differences between those with and without previous SRCs. Forty-eight players participated. Correlations were seen for age and CAFS_L (r = 0.42, p < 0.01) and CAFS_R (r = 0.43, p < 0.01) overall and within the backline (CAFS_L: r = 0.53; p < 0.01; CAFS_R: r = 0.55; p < 0.01); and weight and JPE_R (r = 0.29, p = 0.04) overall and within the backline (r = 0.60; p < 0.01). No positional differences were found for JPE, CFE, CEE, CAFS using the adjusted significance level. Cervical outcomes may provide useful data to baseline SRC screening. This could be beneficial to multi-modal management of SRC, however future research on a larger sample is needed to clarify the benefits.