TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - An assessment of the utility and functionality of wearable head impact sensors in Australian Football
JO  - Journal of science and medicine in sport
A1  - McIntosh, Andrew S.
A1  - Willmott, Catherine
A1  - Patton, Declan A.
A1  - Mitra, Biswadev
A1  - Brennan, James H.
A1  - Dimech-Betancourt, Bleydy
A1  - Howard, Teresa S.
A1  - Rosenfeld, Jeffrey V.
SP  - 784
EP  - 789
VL  - 22
IS  - 7
N2  - OBJECTIVES: To assess the utility and functionality of the X-Patch<sup>®</sup> as a measurement tool to study head impact exposure in Australian Football. Accuracy, precision, reliability and validity were examined. DESIGNS: Laboratory tests and prospective observational study. <br><br>METHODS: Laboratory tests on X-Patch<sup>®</sup> were undertaken using an instrumented Hybrid III head and neck and linear impactor. Differences between X-Patch<sup>®</sup> and reference data were analysed. Australian Football players wore the X-Patch<sup>®</sup> devices and games were video-recorded. Video recordings were analysed qualitatively for head impact events and these were correlated with X-Patch<sup>®</sup> head acceleration events. Wearability of the X-Patch<sup>®</sup> was assessed using the Comfort Rating Scale for Wearable Computers. <br><br>RESULTS: Laboratory head impacts, performed at multiple impact sites and velocities, identified significant correlations between headform-measured and device-measured kinematic parameters (p<0.05 for all). On average, the X-Patch<sup>®</sup>-recorded peak linear acceleration (PLA) was 17% greater than the reference PLA, 28% less for peak rotational acceleration (PRA) and 101% greater for the Head Injury Criterion (HIC). For video analysis, 118 head acceleration events (HAE) were included with PLA ≥30g across 53 players. Video recordings of X-Patch<sup>®</sup>-measured HAEs (PLA ≥30g) determined that 31.4% were direct head impacts, 9.3% were indirect impacts, 44.1% were unknown or unclear and 15.3% were neither direct nor indirect head impacts. The X-Patch<sup>®</sup> system was deemed wearable by 95-100% of respondents. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces evidence that use of the current X-Patch<sup>®</sup> devices should be limited to research only and in conjunction with video analysis.<br><br>Copyright © 2019 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1440-2440
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2019.02.004
ID  - ref1
ER  -