Sports Medicine: Just the Facts

CHAPTER 94 • LACROSSE 549

• Equipment
  1.Crosseor stick
  a. Length varies by position.
  b.Made of wood, laminated wood, or synthetic
  material.
  c.Attackmen and midfielder’s sticks must be
  40–42-in. long.
  d. Defensivemen’s stick must be 52–72-in. long.
  e. The head must be 6.5–10-in. wide, or 10–12-in.
  for the goalie.
  2. Ball
  a. Made of solid rubber.
  b.7.75–8 in. in circumference.
  c. 5–5.25 oz.
  3. Personal equipment
  a. Varies by different game and position played.
  b.Required equipment
  i. All players required to wear mouthguards.
  ii. In men’s game, helmet with full facemask
  and padded gloves.
  iii. Women are currently only required to wear
  mouthguards, though some wear soft helmets
  (goalies are a notable exception, see below).
  c. Goalies
  i. Both men’s and women’s games require
  head, chest, and throat protection.
  ii. The stick has a significantly larger net than
  other players.
  iii. Athletic cup is optional but highly recom-
  mended.
  d. Attackmen
  i. Frequently wear elbow pads, shoulder pads,
  and rib protectors.
  ii. Sticks tend to be shorter.
  e. Defensivemen
  i. Frequently wear less protective gear in the
  men’s game, often only the required helmet,
  mouthguard, and gloves.
  ii. Have a much longer stick than other players.
  f. Midfielders
  i. Often wear less protection than attackmen.
  ii. May have longer or shorter stick depending
  on specialty (defensive midfielders have
  longer sticks).

INJURY EPIDEMIOLOGY (NCAA INJURY
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM)

• Injury Surveillance System (ISS) was developed by
  National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in
  1982 to monitor collegiate athlete injury patterns.


• Monitors type of injury, body part injured, severity of
  injury, field type, field condition, and special equip-
  ment worn.
  
  
  • Data are collected by certified athletic trainers at
    NCAA-sanctioned schools.
  
  
  • Reportable injuries must meet specific criteria.
    
    
    1. Occurs during practice or contest.
    
    
    2. Requires medical attention by athletic trainer or
       physician.
    
    
    3. Causes the student-athlete to miss one or more
       days of participation beyond the day of injury.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Data is tabulated as rates per 1000 athlete exposures
    (AE).
  
  
  • Game data (2002)
    
    
    1. Men’s
       a.Overall AE: 10.8 (61.8%)—8th out of 16
       NCAA sports.
       i. Equates to one injury every six games.
       b.Injuries with 7+ days lost—3.0 (8th)
       c. Injuries requiring surgery—0.9 (8th)
    
    
    2. Women’s
       a. Overall AE: 8.4 (67.0%)—10th
       i. Equates to one injury every eight games.
       b.Injuries with 7+ days lost—1.7 (13th)
       c. Injuries requiring surgery—0.7 (11th)
       •Practice data
    
    
    3. Men’s
       a. Overall AE: 3.2 (31.2%)—13th
       b.Injuries with 7+days lost—1.2 (10th)
       c. Injuries requiring surgery—0.2 (10th)
    
    
    4. Women’s
       a. Overall AE: 3.6 (33.0%)—11th
       b.Injuries with 7+days lost—1.2 (9th)
       c. Injuries requiring surgery—0.3 (7th)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Men experienced injury rates more than three times as
    frequently in game situations than practice.
    •Women had more than twice as many injuries in
    games than practice.
    •Severe injuries were more prevalent in men than
    women during competition, but women experienced a
    slightly higher proportion of injuries in practice than
    men, with more severe injury patterns.
  
  
  • Specific injury patterns (NCAA News, 2002)
    
    
    1. Women’s (data from 2002 season)
       a. Ankle, lower leg, and knee injuries are most
       prevalent in practice (43%).
       b.Ankle, knee, and head injuries are most preva-
       lent in game situations (55%).
       i. Sprains, strains, and contusions accounted
       for the majority of game injuries.
       c. Seventeen percent of injuries were above the
       neck, with 3% to the eye.
       d. Twenty percent of injuries in games were the
       result of player–player contact, and 20% from
       stick–player contact.
    
    
    2. Men’s
       a. Ankle, knee, and upper leg injuries are most
       prevalent in practice (47%).