BALTIMORE – US Lacrosse and MedStar Health have agreed to collaborate in pursuit of mutual interests in developing sports health research to enhance the safety and quality of lacrosse at all levels of competition. The two organizations have agreed to a five-year agreement in which US Lacrosse will help fund several research projects.

This relationship will provide professional support to the US Lacrosse Sports Science and Safety Committee, a volunteer committee that works to improve the safety of the sport.

"This strategic alliance is a wonderful evolution of our efforts to support the work of our Sports Science and Safety Committee," said Steve Stenersen, executive director of US Lacrosse. "MedStar’s research capabilities and renowned expertise in the area of sports medicine will provide a valuable resource to our ongoing efforts to reduce lacrosse injuries."

Among the research initiatives for 2007:
• Evaluation of the frequency and severity of concussion in men’s and women’s lacrosse
• Evaluation of the women’s lacrosse protective eyewear mandate
• Risks and mechanisms of severe lacrosse injuries utilizing insurance claims data
• Support of Dr. Mark’s Link’s development of a mechanical model for commotio cordis research

In addition, US Lacrosse will continue to subsidize injury data collection through the Fairfax (Va.) County Public School system and MedStar will provide educational materials to be distributed to the US Lacrosse membership via various communications vehicles. MedStar will also help fund the development of a national lacrosse sports medicine symposium.

MedStar Health will utilize its subsidiaries, MedStar Sports Health and MedStar Research Institute, in this collaboration. As a recognized leader in sports health services in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area, MedStar Health provides a wide and varied range of organizational partnerships with teams, events and individuals to provide clinical, research and educational services.

The Department of Orthopaedic & Sports Health Research operates within the MedStar Research Institute and in support of MedStar Sports Health. This department offers expertise in the areas of research design and methodology, data management, epidemiology, health outcomes, biostatistics and biomechanics. The staff has published their findings widely in scientific literature. Since its formation in 2005, the department has established an early focus on sports injury risks factors, with lacrosse being the primary sport of interest.

US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) corporation, is the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse. US Lacrosse has more than 215,000 members around the country. To learn more about the organization, please visit the Web site at www.uslacrosse.org.