A review of impact testing methods for headgear in sports: considerations for improved prevention of head injury through research and standards
File(s)
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Standards for sports headgear were introduced as far back as the 1960s and many have remained substantially unchanged to present day. Since this time, headgear has virtually eliminated catastrophic head injuries such as skull fractures and changed the landscape of head injuries in sports. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is now a prevalent concern and the effectiveness of headgear in mitigating mTBI is inconclusive for most sports. Given that most current headgear standards are confined to attenuating linear head mechanics and recent brain injury studies have underscored the importance of angular mechanics in the genesis of mTBI, new or expanded standards are needed to foster headgear development and assess headgear performance that addresses all types of sport-related head and brain injuries. The aim of this review is to provide a basis for developing new sports headgear impact tests for standards by summarizing and critiquing: 1) impact testing procedures currently codified in published headgear standards for sports and 2) new or proposed headgear impact test procedures in published literature and/or relevant conferences. Research areas identified as needing further knowledge to support standards test development include defining sports-specific head impact conditions, establishing injury and age appropriate headgear assessment criteria, and the development of headgear specific head and neck surrogates for at-risk populations.
Date Issued
2019-07-01
Date Acceptance
2019-03-01
Citation
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 2019, 141 (7)
ISSN
0148-0731
Publisher
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
Volume
141
Issue
7
Copyright Statement
© 2019 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30861063
PII: 2728551
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Technology
Biophysics
Engineering, Biomedical
Engineering
headgear
helmet
impact testing
head injury
injury prevention
standards
TRAUMATIC BRAIN-INJURY
DIFFUSE AXONAL INJURY
NATIONAL OPERATING COMMITTEE
ICE HOCKEY HELMETS
HYBRID-III
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
BIOMECHANICAL PERFORMANCE
INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE
CEREBRAL CONCUSSION
BICYCLE HELMETS
Biomedical Engineering
0903 Biomedical Engineering
0913 Mechanical Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
070803
Date Publish Online
2019-05-23