XXXX in American Collegiate Football and Club Rugby: A Prospective Cohort Study.

@entity174 @entity6475 @entity12623 @entity130
BACKGROUND: American football and rugby players are at substantial risk of injury because of the full-contact nature of these sports. Methodological differences between previous epidemiological studies hamper an accurate comparison of injury rates between American football and rugby. PURPOSE: To directly compare injury rates in American collegiate football and rugby, specified by location, type, mechanism, and severity of injury, as reported by licensed medical professionals. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Licensed medical professionals (athletic trainer or physician) associated with the football and rugby teams of a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university reported attendance and @entity130 over 3 autumn seasons. Injuries were categorized by the location, type, mechanism, and severity of injury, and the injury rate was calculated per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs). Injury rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated to compare overall, game, and practice injury rates within and between sports. RESULTS: The overall injury rate was 4.9/1000 AEs in football versus 15.2/1000 AEs in rugby: @entity12623 = 3.1 (95% CI, 2.3-4.2). @entity130 rates were higher than practice injury rates: @entity12623 = 6.5 (95% CI, 4.5-9.3) in football and @entity12623 = 5.1 (95% CI, 3.0-8.6) in rugby. Injury rates for the shoulder, wrist/hand, and lower leg and for @entity6475 , @entity174 , and contusions in rugby were >4 times as high as those in football (all P  <= 0.006). Concussion rates were 1.0/1000 AEs in football versus 2.5/1000 AEs in rugby. Most injuries occurred via direct player contact, especially during games. The rate of season-ending injuries (>3 months of time loss) was 0.8/1000 AEs in football versus 1.0/1000 AEs in rugby: @entity12623 = 1.3 (95% CI, 0.4-3.4). CONCLUSION: Overall injury rates were substantially higher in collegiate rugby compared with football. Similarities between sports were observed in the most common @entity130 ( @entity6475 and concussions), locations (lower extremity and head), and mechanisms (direct player contact). @entity130 were more common in rugby, and the rate of season-ending injuries was similar between sports.
