A recent incident during a Spanish Segunda División match between CD Tenerife and FC Andorra resulted in the tragic death of Tenerife player Jesús de Miguel. Although no official statement has confirmed the cause of his death, some reports suggest it could have been commotio cordis.

This is a rare but well-known medical condition that can cause sudden cardiac arrest after a blow to the chest.

Commotio cordis means “agitation of the heart ”.

It was first described by doctors in the 1850s. In 1932, researchers in Germany identified three factors that help explain how it happens: the type of impact, its speed and where it strikes the chest. A sudden, sharp blow is particularly dangerous.

The heart sits inside the chest, protected by the ribs and the sternum, the flat bone at the front of the chest.…