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

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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 helmeted and non-helmeted sports for a more complete understanding of concussion tolerance in different demographics. These sensors along with advances in finite element modeling will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of injury and human tolerance to head impact.

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Acknowledgments

Much of the youth football data collection was supported by the National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01NS094410. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The college data collection was supported by the NCAA—DOD Grand Alliance, and the NFL data collection was supported by the NFL.

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    Bethany Rowson & Stefan M. Duma

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Rowson, B., Duma, S.M. A Review of On-Field Investigations into the Biomechanics of Concussion in Football and Translation to Head Injury Mitigation Strategies. Ann Biomed Eng 48, 2734–2750 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-020-02684-w

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