A Review of Impact Testing Methods for Headgear in Sports: Considerations for Improved Prevention of Head Injury Through Research and Standards

Tom Whyte, Cameron A. Stuart, Allen B. Mallory, Mazdak Ghajari, D. J. Plant, Gunter P. Siegmund, Peter A. Cripton

Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 2019

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…

Cite as (BibTeX)

@article{whyte-2019-a-review-of-impact,
  title={A Review of Impact Testing Methods for Headgear in Sports: Considerations for Improved Prevention of Head Injury Through Research and Standards},
  author={Tom Whyte and Cameron A. Stuart and Allen B. Mallory and Mazdak Ghajari and D. J. Plant and Gunter P. Siegmund and Peter A. Cripton},
  journal={Journal of Biomechanical Engineering},
  year={2019},
  doi={10.1115/1.4043140}
}