A Review of On-Field Investigations into the Biomechanics of Concussion in Football and Translation to Head Injury Mitigation Strategies.

A Review of On-Field Investigations into the Biomechanics of Concussion in Football and Translation to Head Injury Mitigation Strategies. Ann Biomed Eng. 2020 Nov 16;: Authors: Rowson B, Duma SM Abstract This review paper summarizes the scientific advancements in the field of concussion biomechanics in American football throughout the past five decades. The focus is on-field biomechanical data collection, and the translation of that data to injury metrics and helmet evaluation. On-field data has been collected with video analysis for laboratory reconstructions or wearable head impact sensors. Concussion biomechanics have been studied across all levels of play, from youth to professional, which has allowed for comparison of head impact exposure and injury tolerance between different age groups. In general, head impact exposure and injury tolerance increase with increasing age. Average values for concussive head impact kinematics are lower for youth players in both linear and rotational acceleration. Head impact data from concussive and non-concussive events have been used to develop injury metrics and risk functions for use in protective equipment evaluation. These risk functions have been used to evaluate helmet performance for each level of play, showing substantial differences in the ability of different helmet models to reduce concussion risk. New advances in head impact sensor technology allow for biomechanical measurements in h...
Source: Annals of Biomedical Engineering - Category: Biomedical Engineering Authors: Tags: Ann Biomed Eng Source Type: research