Assessing Head Acceleration Events in Female Community Rugby Union Players: A Cohort Study Using Instrumented Mouthguards.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The rapid growth of women's rugby union has underscored the need for female-specific player welfare protocols, particularly regarding the risk of head injuries. Instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) play a vital role in gathering comprehensive data on head acceleration events (HAEs), including their frequency, magnitude, and spatial distribution during games and training. By doing so, iMGs offer valuable context for circumstances in women's matches that may increase player risk.

Objectives

The study aimed to contextualize HAEs in female community rugby players using instrumented mouthguards and video review.

Methods

This prospective, observational cohort study involved 332 female rugby players across 38 matches and 80 training sessions during the 2021/2022 season

SUBMITTER: Bussey MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11946941 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature