Citation

Rowson B, Duma SM. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10439-020-02653-3

PMID

33141348

Abstract

This special issue is focused on the biomechanics of concussion in football. These papers are timely given increased public awareness concerning concussions in recent years, which has led to a push for more research in the area. Repetitive head impact exposure leading to long-term neurocognitive deficits is particularly concerning, with evidence for poorer outcomes associated with longer exposure.10 The study of concussion in football has broad applications both within the sport as well as more general areas of impact protection. Player safety can be improved through rule and practice structure changes informed by analysis of athlete head impact exposure. Improvements in helmets and other safety equipment can be guided by laboratory and on-field evaluations. Fundamental injury mechanisms and brain injury tolerance can be translated to enhanced safety for other sports and recreational activities, automotive environments, and military personnel. This special issue will highlight the most recent advances in football concussion biomechanics research including analysis of real-world impacts, new head impact sensor technologies, and laboratory evaluation of helmets.

The biomechanics of on-field head impacts have been analyzed through reconstructions of video-recorded impacts and wearable head impact sensors. Video recordings of National Football League (NFL) games were used to reconstruct concussive or severe impacts at the professional level.11 The videos were analyzed for pre-impact velocity and location, and impacts were recreated in the lab with anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs). The results of the reconstructions provided average linear and rotational head accelerations for concussed players as well as risk functions based on head kinematics and head injury metrics. More recently, the NFL reconstructions were reanalyzed due to inconsistencies in the original instrumentation, resulting in error in the head kinematics of concussed players...

Keywords; American football

Language: en