FAIRFAX, VA., Feb. 20, 2012 – This spring, girls’ lacrosse
players across the country will take to the field in what some
have called "the fastest sport on two feet." To help keep these
players safe from injury, George Mason University researcher
Shane Caswell embarked on a new study that used video analysis
to take a closer look at the common interactions of the game
that lead to head injuries, such as concussions or contusions,
in high school girls’ lacrosse players. Published on the
American Journal of Sports Medicine website, the study finds
that most head injuries result from stick-to-head contact during
aggressive play near the goal at the varsity level. In addition,
the researchers determined that most of these head injuries
resulted from unintentional stick contact, which suggests that
head injury in girls’ lacrosse may be an indirect consequence of
play, in which players position themselves in hazardous
situations either purposefully or inadvertently. ► Access the
AJSM Abstract For this study, Caswel