The Association Between Cervical Neck Strength and Head Impact Biomechanics in Male and Female Adolescent Hockey Players

An abstract of a study by Cabell et al determining the association between cervical muscle strength and head impact biomechanics in male and female adolescent hockey players is presented. Weak cervical muscle strength was generally associated with increased odds of sustaining moderate/severe linear accelerations, but there was no association between cervical muscle strength and rotational head accelerations. These data suggest that cervical muscle strength may mitigate the magnitude of linear head accelerations, and neck strengthening programs may have an injury prevention benefit. Further research is needed to explore other factors, such as cervical muscle activation rates, bodychecking technique, and closing distance, in hopes of reducing high impact magnitudes and concussion risk.