Comparison of Laboratory and On-Field Performance of American Football Helmets.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
The relationship between laboratory and on-field performance of football helmets was assessed for 31 football helmet models selected from those worn by players in the 2015-2019 National Football League (NFL) seasons. Linear impactor tests were conducted with helmets placed on an instrumented Hybrid III head and neck assembly mounted on a sliding table. Based on impacts to each helmet at six impact locations and three velocities, a helmet performance score (HPS) was calculated using a linear combination of the head injury criterion (HIC) and the diffuse axonal multi-axis general evaluation (DAMAGE). To determine the on-field performance of helmets, helmet model usage, player participation, and incident concussion data were collected from the five NFL seasons and used to calculate helmet model-specific concussion rates. Comparison of laboratory HPS to the helmet model-specific concussion rates on a per play basis showed a positive correlation (r2 = 0.61, p < 0.001) between laboratory and on-field performance of helmet models, indicating that helmets which exhibited reduced impact severity in the laboratory tests were also generally associated with lower concussion rates on-field. Further analysis showed that NFL-prohibited helmet models exhibited a significantly higher odds of concussion (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.04-1.47; p = 0.017) relative to other helmet models.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Bailey, AM; McMurry, TL; Cormier, JM; Funk, JR; Crandall, JR; Mack, CD; Myers, BS; Arbogast, KB
Published Date
- November 2020
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 48 / 11
Start / End Page
- 2531 - 2541
PubMed ID
- 33025320
Pubmed Central ID
- 33025320
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1573-9686
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0090-6964
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1007/s10439-020-02627-5
Language
- eng