Citation

Colello R, Colello IA, AbdelHameid D, Cresswell KG, Merchant R, Beckett E. J. Neurotrauma 2018; 35(11): 1213-1223.

Affiliation

Richmond, United States ; epbecket@g.cofc.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2017.5446

PMID

29421963

Abstract

In an effort to reduce concussions in football, a helmet safety-rating system was developed in 2011 that rated helmets based on their ability to reduce g-forces experienced by the head across a range of impact forces measured on the playing field. Although this was considered a major step in making the game safer, the NFL continues to allow players the right to choose what helmet to wear during play. This prompted us to ask: what helmets do NFL players wear and does this helmet policy make the game safer? Accordingly, we identified the helmets worn by nearly 1000 players on Weeks 13 and 1 of the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, respectively. Using stop-motion footage, we found that players wore a wide range of helmets with varying safety ratings influenced, in part, by the player's position and age. Moreover, players wearing lower safety-rated helmets were more likely to receive a concussion than those wearing higher safety-rated helmets. Interestingly, many players suffering a concussion in 2015 did not switch to a higher safety-rated helmet in 2016. Using a helmet-to-helmet impactor, we found that the g-forces experienced in the highest safety-rated helmets were roughly 30% less than that for the lowest safety-rated helmets. These results suggest that the current NFL helmet policy puts players at increased risk of receiving a concussion as many players are wearing low safety-rated helmets, which transmits more energy to the brain than higher-safety-rated helmets, following collision. Thus, the NFL should mandate that players only wear helmets that receive the highest safety rating. This policy change would likely represent the simplest and most straightforward way to reduce concussions in football.

Language: en

Keywords

ADULT BRAIN INJURY; HEAD TRAUMA; TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY