HYATTSVILLE, Md., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Female lacrosse players in high school and college have a higher rate of injuries to the head, face and eye than their male counterparts, says a U.S. study.
"Although high school injury rates are lower than those of college, the nature of the injuries, body parts affected, and mechanisms of injury are similar," writes Andrew E. Lincoln of the MedStar Research Institute in Hyattsville, Md.
"Female players sustained more head, face, and eye injuries partly because of a lack of protective equipment. Before 2005, protective eyewear was not required for females at any level of play."
At all levels of play, lacrosse is a fast-paced team sport. The hard rubber ball used in lacrosse can travel at speeds of up to 90 mph in the men's game and 60 mph in the women's game. The use of protective equipment has differed between the sexes because the women's game prohibits deliberate body-to-body contact.
In contrast to the concussions sustained by high school boys and college men, females in high school and college experienced significantly higher proportions of injuries to the nose and eyes than did their male counterparts.
The study is published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
