Greetings! All of us at The Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine hope you are enjoying the summer months. Remember to play it safe by continuing your conditioning program throughout the year.

The Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine, led by members of our Board of Directors and Advisory Council has continued to work on the forefront of injury prevention and healthcare cost containment related issues. We have had two recent studies submitted for publication. The first authored by Dr. Andrew McIntosh and Dr. David Janda entitled: Cricket Helmet Impact Performance was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In this analysis we utilized some of the techniques we have developed with baseball helmet and hockey helmet impact testing in our laboratory. We applied these very strict criteria to the current cricket helmets that are on the market and compared them to hockey, as well as, baseball helmets. It should be noted that millions of individuals are involved in cricket on a worldwide basis. In addition, a large number of participants are sustaining significant head impact injuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current standards that are used for cricket helmets and to discuss alternatives for improved headgear. It should be noted that we did conclude that the standards, both in Australia and in Britain, are lacking in relation to injury prevention capabilities. It is great that all helmets pass a standard, however; if individuals continue to sustain very severe injuries those standards are obviously fraught with failure. In this study we identify an improved impact technique in order to assess helmets in the sports world including cricket. In addition, in the study we do make recommendations as to what would be needed to provide a safer helmet structure for participants in all sports.

The second study that was authored, The Prevention of Baseball and Softball Injuries, by Dr. David H. Janda, was published in the Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research Journal. This is an overview of the Institute’s research over the years. We highlight the utilization of breakaway bases, training and conditioning techniques as well as the use of defibrillators (AED’s) to reduce the number one reason for children dying in sport, that being chest impact fatalities.

Dr. Tom Pashby, who has been on the Board of Directors of the Institute since its inception, is the leading investigator and prevention spokesperson for the sport of hockey in the world. Tom is responsible for the near complete elimination of blinding eye injuries in the sport of hockey, as well as racquet sports. Tom has now gone on the offensive and is trying to eliminate the escalating issue of concussions in the sport of hockey. As Tom has eloquently outlined, concussions initially averaged 4% of reported injuries in hockey in 1996 and that number has drastically escalated to 17% in 2001. Tom has been on the offensive on both the professional and amateur ranks of instituting a no head check rule in all of hockey at all levels. The Institute has gone on record as supporting this recommendation. I am pleased to report that through Tom’s efforts, perseverance and dedication, rule changes are taking place in relation to head checking by USA Hockey, IIHF, and the Canadian Hockey Association. It should be noted to date however, that the NHL has not stepped forward with a rule of its own, other than increasing severe penalties and suspension due to head checking. Needless to say, the story is not over, thousands of individuals are put at risk for head and neck injury unnecessarily. The Institute is fortunate to gain the support of thousands of parents over the years. I would like to introduce you to Dr. Janet Zimmerman, who is a Ph.D. in Public Health, but more importantly, is a parent of a youth hockey participant. She has authored an eloquent essay on making injury prevention in youth hockey a priority. Needless to say, if the points outlined in her presentation are implemented, thousands of unnecessary injuries and potential fatalities will be prevented every year throughout the world. The Institute will join forces with Dr. Zimmerman in this all to neglected issue of preventable violence in sport.