Proposed Injury Thresholds for Concussion in Equestrian Sports

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2019Source: Journal of Science and Medicine in SportAuthor(s): J. Michio Clark, Kevin Adanty, Andrew Post, T. Blaine Hoshizaki, Jonathan Clissold, Adrian McGoldrick, Jerry Hill, Aisling Ni Annaidh, Michael D. GilchristAbstractObjectivesEquestrian helmets are designed to pass certification standards based on linear drop tests onto rigid steel surfaces. However, concussions in equestrian sports occur most commonly when a rider is thrown off a horse and obliquely impacts a compliant surface such as turf or sand. This paper seeks to elucidate the mechanics of such impacts and thereby propose corresponding thresholds for the occurrence of concussion that can improve equestrian helmet standards and designs.DesignThe present study examined the biomechanics of real-world equestrian accidents and developed thresholds for the occurrence of concussive injury.MethodsTwenty-five concussive and 25 non-concussive falls in equestrian sports were reconstructed using a combination of video analysis, computational and physical reconstruction methods. These represented male and female accidents from horse racing and the cross-country phase of eventing.ResultsThe resulting thresholds for concussion [59 g, 2700 rad/s2, 28 rad/s, 0.24 (MPS), 6.6 kPa and 0.27 (CSMD10) for 50% risk] were consistent with those reported in the literature and represent a unique combination of head kinematic thresholds compared to other sports. Current equestrian helm...
Source: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research