NCAA Injury Surveillance Program

The NCAA Injury Surveillance Program collects accurate and reliable data on injury incidence in NCAA championship sports and analyzes, interprets and disseminates these data to assist evidence-based decision-making.

NCAA injury-surveillance data summaries for 15 sports from 1988-89 through 2003-04 are published in the Journal of Athletic Training, Volume 42, No. 2, April-June 2007. Sports include football (including spring football), men’s soccer, women’s soccer, field hockey, women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, wrestling, women’s gymnastics, baseball, softball, men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse.

NCAA-Funded External Research

“Annual Survey of Football Injury Research” and “Annual Survey of Catastrophic Football Injuries” (R Cantu and F Mueller). National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research. Funded by the NCAA since 1965. Published annually.

“A Prospective Study on Injury Assessment, Return to Play and Outcome Following Concussion in Collegiate Football Players” (KM Guskiewicz and M McCrea). Awarded in 1999.

Published as:

• “Cumulative Effects Associated with Recurrent Concussion in Collegiate Football Players: The NCAA Concussion Study” (KM Guskiewicz, M McCrea, SW Marshall, RC Cantu, C Randolph, W Barr, JA Onate, JP Kelly). Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003.
• “Acute Effects and Recovery Time Following Concussion in Collegiate Football Players: The NCAA Concussion Study”  (M McCrea, KM Guskiewicz, W Barr, SW Marshall, C Randolph, R Cantu, JA Onate, JP Kelly. Journal of the American Medical Association.

Collaborative Research Publications with NCAA Injury Surveillance Data

“Epidemiology of High School and Collegiate Football Injuries in the United States, 2005-06” (PR Shankar, SK Fields, C Knox, RD Comstock). American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2007.

“Concussions Among High School and College Athletes” (LM Gessell, SK Fields, CL Collins, RW Dick and RD Comstock). Journal of Athletic Training, 2007. (Selected as runner-up of the 2007 Journal of Athletic Training Kenneth L. Knight Award for Outstanding Research Manuscript)

NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook Guideline on Concussion in Athletics

June 1994 – New guideline.

Reference section:

“When to Return to Contact Sports After Cerebral Concussion” (RC Cantu). Sports Medical Digest, 1989.

“Concussion Incidences and Severity in Secondary School Varsity Football Players” (SG Gerberich, JD Priest, JR Boen, et al). American Journal of Public Health, 1983.

“Head and Neck Injuries in College Football: An Eight-Year Analysis” (JP Albright, E McAuley, RK Martin, et al). American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1985.

“Concussion in Sports: Guidelines for the Prevention of Catastrophic Outcome” (JP Kelly, JS Nichols, CM Filley, et al). Journal of the American Medical Association, 1991.

“Guideline for Return to Contact Sports After Several Concussions” (RC Cantu). The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 1986.

“Guidelines for the Management of Concussion in Sports (revised)” (Colorado Medical Society Report on the Sports Medicine Committee). Colorado Medical Society, 1991.

“Second Impact Syndrome Immediate Management” (RC Cantu). The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 1992.

“Second Impact and Catastrophic Contact Sports Head Trauma” (RI Saunders). Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984.

July 1997

New references:

“Post-Concussive Symptoms After Uncomplicated Mild Head Injury” (WM Alves, et al). J. Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 1993.

“Reflection on Head Injuries in Sport and the Concussion Controversy” (RC Cantu). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 1997.

“Neuropsychological Functioning and Recovery After Mild Head Injury in Collegiate Athletics” (SN Macciocchi, JT Barth, W Alves, RW Rimel, JA Jane). Neurosurgery, 1996.

“Standardized Assessment of Concussion in Football Players” (M McCrea, JP Kelly, J Kluge, B Ackley, C Randolph). Neurology, 1997.

“Minor Head Injury in Sports: A New System of Classification and Management” (WE Nelson, JA June, JH Gieck). The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 1984.

“Practice Parameter: The Management of Concussion in Sports” (Quality Standards Subcommittee, American Academy of Neurology). Neurology, 1997.

“Returning a Concussion Patient to Activity: Don’t Hurry” (JE Wilberger). Your Patient and Fitness, 1991.

July 2002

New references:

“Postural Stability Assessment Following Concussion: One Piece of the Puzzle” (KM Guskiewicz). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2001.

“Evidence-Based Review of Sport-Related Concussion” (KM Johnston, P McCory, NG Mohtadi, W Meeuwissee). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2001.

“Legal Issues Affecting Medical Clearance to Resume Play After Mild Brain Injury” (MJ Mitten). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2001.

“Concussion in Sports” (EM Wojtys, D Hovda, G Landry, et al). American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1999.

July 2004

New references:

            “Sports-Related Recurrent Brain Injuries: United States” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1997.

“Computerized Cognitive Assessment of Athletes with Sports-Related Head Injury” (A Collie, D Darby, P Maruff). Journal of Sports Medicine, 2001.

“On-Field Predictors of Neuropsychological and Symptom Deficit Following Sports-Related Concussion” (MW Collins, GL Iverson, MR Lovell, DB McKeag, J Norwig, J Maroon). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2003.

“The Neurochemical and Metabolic Cascade Following Brain Injury: Moving from Animal Models to Man” (DA Hovda, SM Lee, ML Smith, et al). Journal of Neurotrauma, 1995.

“Summary and Agreement Statement of the First International Conference on Concussion in Sport” (K Johnston, M Aubry, R Cantu, et al). The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 2002.

“Computerized Cognitive Assessment of Concussed Australian Rules Footballers” (M Makdissi, A Collie, P Maruff, et al). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2001.

“Standardized Mental Status Assessment of Sports Concussion” (M McCrea). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2001.

“Unreported Concussion in High School Football Players” (M McCrea, T Hammeke, G Olsen, Leo, K Guskiewiz). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2004.

“Athletic Injuries to the Head, Neck, and Face” (JS Torg). Mosby-Yearbook, 1991.

July 2006

New references:

“Concussion Severity Should Not Be Determined Until All Post-Concussion Symptoms Have Abated” (RC Cantu). Lancet, 2004.

“Recurrent Athletic Head Injury: Risks and When to Retire” (RC Cantu). Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2003.

“Post Traumatic (Retrograde/Antegrade) Amnesia: Pathophysiology and Implications in Grading and Safe Return to Play” (RC Cantu). Journal of Athletic Training, 2001.

“National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Management of Sport-Related Concussion” (KM Guskiewicz, R Cantu, MS Ferrara, JP Kelly, M McCrea, M Putukian, TC McLeod-Valovich). Journal of Athletic Training, 2004.

NCAA News Articles

“Fall sports injury report reveals continuing trend in concussions,” February 28, 2000.

“Heads up,” October 9, 2000.

“Latest fall sports study spotlights head and player contact injuries,” March 12, 2001

“Fall sports injury research indicates continued concern with concussions,” April 1, 2002

“Sports-medicine guidelines minimize risk of injury and heat,” November 11, 2002

“Survey shows reduced injury rates for several fall sports,” February 17, 2003

“Study offers guidance on recovery time for concussions,” December 8, 2003

“Physician holds authority to determine medical fitness,” April 12, 2004

“Past ISS applications,” April 26, 2004

“Athletic trainers urge that concussions not be taken lightly,” July 5, 2004

“Technology provides new tool to judge concussion recovery,” September 13, 2004

“Forum places psychological focus on mental health issues,” February 28, 2005

“Psychology of sport more than performance enhancement,” March 14, 2005

“Heads-up given to heads-down contact,” August 15, 2005

“Winter ISS results are available,” May 11, 2006

“Athletic trainers’ ISS work charts future directions,” June 4, 2007