CONTEXT: Football players can receive up to 1400 head impacts per season, averaging 6.3 impacts per practice and 14.3 impacts per game. A decrease in the capacity of a helmet to manage linear acceleration with multiple impacts could increase the risk of traumatic brain injury. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ability of football helmets to manage linear acceleration with multiple high-energy impacts. DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. SETTING: Laboratory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We collected linear-acceleration data for 100 impacts at 6 locations on 4 helmets of different models currently used in football. Impacts 11 to 20 were compared with impacts 91 to 100 for each of the 6 locations. RESULTS: Linear acceleration was greater after multiple impacts (91-100) than after the first few impacts (11-20) for the front, front-boss, rear, and top locations. However, these differences are not clinically relevant as they do not affect the risk for head injury. CONCLUSIONS: American football helmet performance deteriorated with multiple impacts, but this is unlikely to be a factor in head-injury causation during a game or over a season.
CONTEXT: Football players can receive up to 1400 head impacts per season, averaging 6.3 impacts per practice and 14.3 impacts per game. A decrease in the capacity of a helmet to manage linear acceleration with multiple impacts could increase the risk of traumatic brain injury. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ability of football helmets to manage linear acceleration with multiple high-energy impacts. DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. SETTING: Laboratory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We collected linear-acceleration data for 100 impacts at 6 locations on 4 helmets of different models currently used in football. Impacts 11 to 20 were compared with impacts 91 to 100 for each of the 6 locations. RESULTS: Linear acceleration was greater after multiple impacts (91-100) than after the first few impacts (11-20) for the front, front-boss, rear, and top locations. However, these differences are not clinically relevant as they do not affect the risk for head injury. CONCLUSIONS: American football helmet performance deteriorated with multiple impacts, but this is unlikely to be a factor in head-injury causation during a game or over a season.
Entities:
Keywords:
education; head injuries; material fatigue
Authors: Joseph J Crisco; Bethany J Wilcox; Jonathan G Beckwith; Jeffrey J Chu; Ann-Christine Duhaime; Steven Rowson; Stefan M Duma; Arthur C Maerlender; Thomas W McAllister; Richard M Greenwald Journal: J Biomech Date: 2011-08-27 Impact factor: 2.712
Authors: Joseph J Crisco; Russell Fiore; Jonathan G Beckwith; Jeffrey J Chu; Per Gunnar Brolinson; Stefan Duma; Thomas W McAllister; Ann-Christine Duhaime; Richard M Greenwald Journal: J Athl Train Date: 2010 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 2.860