Citation

Nakatsuka AS, Yamamoto LG. Hawaii J. Med. Public Health 2014; 73(8): 256-261.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI; and Emergency Department, Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children, Honolulu, HI.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, University Clinical, Education and Research Associates (UCERA))

DOI

unavailable

PMID

25157327

PMCID

PMC4142580

Abstract

Current American football helmet design has a rigid exterior with a padded interior. Softening the hard external layer of the helmet may reduce the impact potential of the helmet, providing extra head protection and reducing its use as an offensive device. The objective of this study is to measure the impact reduction potential provided by external foam. We obtained a football helmet with built-in accelerometer-based sensors, placed it on a boxing mannequin and struck it with a weighted swinging pendulum helmet to mimic the forces sustained during a helmet-to-helmet strike. We then applied layers of 1.3 cm thick polyolefin foam to the exterior surface of the helmets and repeated the process. All impact severity measures were significantly reduced with the application of the external foam. These results support the hypothesis that adding a soft exterior layer reduces the force of impact which may be applicable to the football field. Redesigning football helmets could reduce the injury potential of the sport.

Language: en