Risk and recovery among high school athletes who sustained at least one sports-related concussion

Aim Evidence of factors explaining sports-related concussion (SRC) risk and recovery among high school athletes remains inconclusive. Materials & methods Prospective study of a real-world sample of high school athletes (n = 77) who sustained ≤1 SRC. Among those with multiple SRCs, recovery time between events was investigated. To investigate concussion risk, baseline characteristics of athletes with a single versus multiple SRC(s) were compared. Results Recovery time did not differ across events. There were no differences between those with a single versus multiple SRCs. Conclusion Recovery time between initial and subsequent concussive events did not differ, suggesting that prior concussion may not prolong recovery. Baseline characteristics did not explain heightened concussion risk. Investigation of these relationships using more representative samples is needed.