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Essentials of Athletic Training Cover Image
Essentials of Athletic Training, 5/e
Daniel Arnheim
William Prentice, University of North Carolina
The Head and Face

Chapter Overview

  • An athlete who receives either a direct blow to the head or body contact that causes the head to snap forward, backward, or rotate to the side must be carefully evaluated for injury to the brain. Injuries to the brain may or may not result in unconsciousness; disorientation or amnesia; motor, coordination, or balance deficits; and cognitive deficits.
  • It is important to realize that in the athletic population, the majority of concussions do not involve loss of consciousness.
  • Concussions usually occur as a result of a direct impact or through a combination of rotational acceleration and deceleration forces.
  • A variety of classification systems have been proposed for determining severity of concussion. To date, none of these classification systems has been universally endorsed and thus debate continues.
  • Returning an athlete to competition following concussion often creates a difficult dilemma for the sports medicine team. There must be ongoing concern about second impact syndrome and epidural and subdural hematomas.
  • Injuries to the face can involve fractures of the mandible, maxilla, or zygoma, dislocations of the mandible, and facial lacerations.
  • Any impact to the upper or lower jaw or direct trauma can cause one of three types of fractures to the teeth:an uncomplicated crown fracture, a complicated crown fracture, and a root fracture. A tooth may also be subluxated, luxated, or avulsed. The coach should be aware of when to refer an athlete for dental care.
  • Most injuries to the ear involve the auricle; cauliflower ear is the most common injury. Rupture of the tympanic membrane, swimmer's ear, and middle ear infections are common in the athletic population.
  • For the most part, injuries to the eye should be treated by physicians who are specifically trained. Orbital fractures, a foreign body in the eye, a hyphema, and retinal detachments are all considered serious injuries to the eye.
  • The most serious consequence of a throat contusion is airway interference.








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