We have attempted to address the lack of data on athletic injuries caused by the lack of inclusion by many sporting and governing bodies. Research teams travel locally, regionally, and nationally to collect data at many events. Attendance at these various sporting tournaments enables us to collect injury reports first hand, to obtain two goals:
- To gain a preliminary data set to understand injury rates in U.S. amateur to elite athletes across many sports.
- To identify trends to assist in the creation of evidence-based player welfare and safety protocols.
Researchers will attend a tournament, match, or games, and frequently be located near the medical station and within sight of the fields. Field safety is assessed as well as athlete access to emergency services. When an injured athlete is identified, either at the medical tent, on or off the playing field/court/ground, they will be asked to take part in our study. Some personal information, a description of the injury, as well as how it occurred is documented. This information will never be shared with another entity other than the RISE Institute, and deidentified to approved Hospitalists and sanctioned research centers, and will only be used to identify the factors surrounding the injury. Follow up surveys, usually lasting 3-5 minutes, may be conducted to assess the severity of the injury. Follow-ups are vital to understand the longevity of injuries and inform athletes of healthcare and rehabilitation programs available. It also informs us of the resources needed for athletes to prevent and recover from injuries. All athletes/guardians are asked to consent surveys for permission to document their information.
The RISE/PRISE/Injury Report
The study mentioned in the introduction utilization of the RISE (Rugby Injury Survey and Evaluation) report as its primary documentation tool. The RISE Report was created by the founder and introduced in 2009, and published in 2012 in AJSM. This report adheres to the International Rugby Injury Consensus Group’s (RICG) consensus statement on rugby research, to promote consistency which has implemented such a system in Europe with similar end goals. Injuries are documented on the RISE Report, designed to identify injuries, their causes (mechanism of action), and surrounding factors. This adherence will allow for inter-study comparisons globally.
With the previous success of the RISE Report, specifically in rugby, the RISE Institute will now employ the same techniques and evidence-based data for underrepresented sports nationally. The injuries documented will encompass a much wider range of sports, collecting information from athletes of all different levels of play, sports, and backgrounds. The medical board looks to apex the RISE Report into multiple different formats, specific to each respective sport.
FAQ
Proposed Benefits to the Research Data Collectors (RDCs)
- Support of the RISE Institute and involvement in athlete welfare across sports teams in the United States and potential National team candidates.
- Acknowledgement on papers that use data collected by the RDCs.
- Introduction into research and data collection of nation-wide studies
- Benefits of working on an inter-disciplinary research team
- Introduction to sports injuries, across multiple sports, as well as injuries in a tournament setting
- Observation of Emergency Action Planning (EAP), with evidence-based findings.
- Payment of a stipend per tournament
- The RISE Institute currently provides ‘Summer Research Internships’ for multiple levels of students and fellows, in many disciplines; these are involved through our affiliates and board members (New York University, Hospital for Special Surgery, University of California San Francisco and Missouri Institute of Orthopedics/Basic Sciences):
- High school – the Regeneron Science Talent Search, locally Charles Duggan Long Island Science and Engineering Fair (LISEF) and others
- Undergraduate/College (pre-professional students) - ACSM – NY Chapter competition and others
- Professional Healthcare Student Internships (MD/DO, DPT/PT, DMD, DPM, PA/RN/AT) - professional membership competitions and opportunities
- We also offer one of the most coveted Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships at HSS for first year medical students, nationally, interested in Clinical Sports Medicine with Dr Allen and HSS
Contact Information
We are based in the Northeast (with Midwest, West coast, North and South representation) and from here we are capable of many accomplishments regionally that would benefit a wide range of sports. As we grow, our representation grows with us. We have undertaken national representation in Rugby-7s qualifying tournaments and are continuing to grow. Regardless of location, our vision and work depend on you as an athlete, coach, referee, or club member. If you wish to speak with us at a tournament, game, or match, have questions about being involved or our work please feel free to contact us at our email: hssriserugbystudy@gmail.com
References
- Allen AA, Chudik SC, Lopez Jr. V, Warren RF. Hip dislocations in the athlete. Sports Med Arthrosc Rev. 2002;10:123.
- Lopez V Jr, Galano GJ, Black CM, et al. Profile of an American amateur rugby union sevens series. Am J Sports Med. 2012;40(1):179–84. PMID: 22102102
- Lopez V Jr, Ma R, Weinstein MG, et al. An American Experience with a New Olympic Collision Sport: Rugby Sevens. Orthop J Sports Med. 2014;2(2 suppl).
- Fuller CW, Molloy MG, Bagate C, et al. Consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection procedures for studies of injuries in rugby union. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41(5):328.
- Lopez V Jr, Ma R, Li X, et al. Costal cartilage fractures and disruptions in a rugby football player. Clin J Sports Med. 2013 May;23(3):232–4. PMID: 22627657
- Lopez V, Ma R, Weinstein MG, Chen JL, Black CM, Gupta AT, et al. An American Experience with a New Olympic Collision Sport: Rugby Sevens. Orthop J Sports Med. 2014;2(7_suppl2):2325967114S0005. doi:10.1177/2325967114s00056
- Lopez V Jr, Ma R, Weinstein MG, Cantu RC, Myers LS, Nadkar NS, Victoria C, Allen AA. Concussive Injuries in Rugby 7s: An American Experience and Current Review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016 Jul;48(7):1320–30. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000892 PMID: 26829001
- Ma R, Lopez V Jr, Weinstein MG, Chen JL, Black CM, Gupta AT, Harbst JD, Victoria C, Allen AA. Injury Profile of American Women's Rugby-7s. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016 Oct;48(10):1957–66. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000997 PMID: 27232243
- Lopez V Jr, Ma R, Weinstein MG, Hume PA, Cantu RC, Victoria C, Queler SC, Webb KJA, Allen AA. United States Under-19 Rugby-7s: Incidence and Nature of Match Injuries During a 5-year Epidemiological Study. Sports Med Open. 2020 Aug 27;6(1):41. doi:10.1186/s40798-020-00261-y PMID: 32852666