Development of the STAR Evaluation System for Assessing Bicycle Helmet Protective Performance.

Development of the STAR Evaluation System for Assessing Bicycle Helmet Protective Performance.
Ann Biomed Eng. 2019 Aug 01;:
Authors: Bland ML, McNally C, Zuby DS, Mueller BC, Rowson S
Abstract
Cycling is a leading cause of mild traumatic brain injury in the US. While bicycle helmets help protect cyclists who crash, limited biomechanical data exist differentiating helmet protective capabilities. This paper describes the development of a bicycle helmet evaluation scheme based in real-world cyclist accidents and brain injury mechanisms. Thirty helmet models were subjected to oblique impacts at six helmet locations and two impact velocities. The summation of tests for the analysis of risk (STAR) equation, which condenses helmet performance from a range of tests into a single value, was used to summarize measured linear and rotational head kinematics in the context of concussion risk. STAR values varied between helmets (10.9-25.3), with lower values representing superior protection. Road helmets produced lower STAR values than urban helmets. Helmets with slip planes produced lower STAR values than helmets without. This bicycle helmet evaluation protocol can educate consumers on the relative impact performance of various helmets and stimulate safer helmet design.
PMID: 31372859 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Annals of Biomedical Engineering - July 31, 2019 Category: Biomedical Engineering Authors: Bland ML, McNally C, Zuby DS, Mueller BC, Rowson S Tags: Ann Biomed Eng Source Type: research