Basketball is proving to be a more dangerous sport than previously thought. An American study shows a 70 percent increase in the number of brain damage caused by playing basketball, reports EurekAlert.
A new study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, looked at treating basketball-related injuries among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 between 1997 and 2007.
Research shows that in 11 years, more than 4 million cases have occurred in the emergency services in the United States, where basketball is extremely popular.
In addition, the data reveal that the incidence of high-risk, traumatic brain injury has increased by 70 percent, despite the overall downward trend in gaming-related injuries.
We found a dramatic increase in basketball-related brain injuries in 11 years. Moreover, the incidence of such injuries doubled in boys and tripled in girls during this period. Many athletes do not recognize the symptoms of shock and fail to report them to their coaches. Educating athletes, coaches and parents to recognize and report suspected shock is necessary to effectively manage them and help prevent similar injuries in the future, said Lara McKenzie, co-author of the study.
The study shows that the most common injuries also included dislocations and strains of the lower limbs (30 percent), especially the ankles (24 percent), and fractures or dislocations of the upper limbs (15 percent), and the most common toes (8 percent).
Basketball is a very popular sport and we want to encourage children to keep playing and reduce the risk of injury. There are some precautions, such as the use of age-appropriate balls by younger children, which can reduce the occurrence of shocks and finger injuries, said Dr. McKenzie of Ohio State University College of Medicine. (PAP)