Risk Analysis Exercise (25 points): US women’s lacrosse ranks secon...

1 a. There are several arguments against the use of helmets for women players, which are as follows:
1. The risk of concussions in women lacrosse is not known
2. Men wear helmets but still have concussions and so helmets do not prevent concussions
3. Concussions can be prevented by proper education and rules
4. When protective gear is used, the games may become rougher
5. The women’s game does not involve physical contact and is about finesse and precision
6. Women lacrosse players did not wear helmets in the past and the tradition should be honored
7. Players will lose the respect of their peers
These arguments can be countered using proper evidence. The following are the counter-arguments that justify the use of helmets in women lacrosse:
1. These are several collected from emergency rooms and other data sources that indicate that there is a lot of risk in women’s lacrosse due to concussion
2. Concussions in men lacrosse players is due to collisions unlike head injuries caused due to contact with sticks or balls, as is the case with women players
3. Even though there is education and emphasis on rules, there is inherent risk due to the nature of the game. Swinging sticks and balls flying are a part of the game and protective helmets are needed to avoid them.
4. The increased aggressiveness should be mitigated by proper enforcement of proper laws by the referees.
5. Even though there is no-contact rule in women’s game, it does not save from head injuries caused due to contact with the stick or the ball. It is found that stick or ball contact is the primary reason for head injury in women players, especially for goalies.
6. In the past there was not much awareness and the games were not as competitive as they are now. There is much awareness, athleticism has increased and even the stick designs have changes. So, the risk for head injuries has increased when compared with the past.
7. The claim that players will lack respect from peers by using protective helmets does not lack evidence. Some players may try to show-off others but they are risking their life by doing this.
b. There are two main causes of head injuries, one due to collisions and other due to the contact of sticks or high speed balls. Collisions among players may cause high amount of rotational forces on the head. These rotational forces cause the tissues of the brain to move at different speed causing shear forces, which in turn axonal damage to the brain’s midline internal structures of the, particularly the corpus callosum