I have noticed more high school, college, and professional athletes (primarily basketball players) wearing clear plastic, face masks during the game. Why is this?
Facial trauma is common in contact sports. Fractures to the face generally stem from direct blows. Athletes are anxious to return to practice and competition as soon as possible, thus requiring a plastic face mask for protection. We custom fabricate these masks in our lab from an impression of the patients face, which is generally taken with dental alginate and plaster. The function of the mask is to distribute forces across a large surface area, thus preventing further injury. Athletes report excellent success in preventing significant injury by using the mask. We have also custom fabricated shin guards for soccer players and elbow wrist orthosis for gymnasts.
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- I have noticed more high school, college, and professional athletes (primarily basketball players) wearing clear plastic, face masks during the game. Why is this?
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