Search

Objective: To explore the potential utility of head acceleration event (HAE) measurements to augment identification of players for further concussion screening in non-helmeted contact sport., Design: Prospective observational pilot study., Participants: 210 (118 female) professional Australian football players in 2017 season., Methods: Players wore the X-Patch® accelerometer for one match each with data collected across 14 matches. Players with HAEs above thresholds associated with concussion, 95 g (males) or 85.5 g (females), were compared to players identified to have suspected concussion by club personnel during the inspected matches. Video review of matches was undertaken by a physician blinded to HAEs to identify players with concussive signs., Results: Among 26 players (50% female) with HAEs above threshold, two players were screened for concussion. Of the remaining 24 players, nine were not visible on video at the HAE time, six sustained verifiable head impacts, and nine sustained verifiable body impacts with no head impacts. Among 184 players with HAEs below threshold, five players were screened., Conclusion: Players were identified to have head impacts and suspected concussion in the absence of HAEs above threshold. Use of X-Patch® was not sufficiently reliable for identifying players for further concussion screening in professional Australian football. Video review of head impacts remains essential in concussion screening., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The X2 Biosystems X-Patch© devices were purchased on a commercial basis, and no author has any financial interest in the product or distribution of the product., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the utility and functionality of the X-Patch ® as a measurement tool to study head impact exposure in Australian Football. Accuracy, precision, reliability and validity were examined., Designs: Laboratory tests and prospective observational study., Methods: Laboratory tests on X-Patch ® were undertaken using an instrumented Hybrid III head and neck and linear impactor. Differences between X-Patch ® and reference data were analysed. Australian Football players wore the X-Patch ® devices and games were video-recorded. Video recordings were analysed qualitatively for head impact events and these were correlated with X-Patch ® head acceleration events. Wearability of the X-Patch ® was assessed using the Comfort Rating Scale for Wearable Computers., Results: Laboratory head impacts, performed at multiple impact sites and velocities, identified significant correlations between headform-measured and device-measured kinematic parameters (p<0.05 for all). On average, the X-Patch ® -recorded peak linear acceleration (PLA) was 17% greater than the reference PLA, 28% less for peak rotational acceleration (PRA) and 101% greater for the Head Injury Criterion (HIC). For video analysis, 118 head acceleration events (HAE) were included with PLA ≥30g across 53 players. Video recordings of X-Patch ® -measured HAEs (PLA ≥30g) determined that 31.4% were direct head impacts, 9.3% were indirect impacts, 44.1% were unknown or unclear and 15.3% were neither direct nor indirect head impacts. The X-Patch ® system was deemed wearable by 95-100% of respondents., Conclusions: This study reinforces evidence that use of the current X-Patch ® devices should be limited to research only and in conjunction with video analysis., (Copyright © 2019 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)