Estimating the influence of neckform compliance on brain tissue strain during a helmeted impact

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Rousseau, Philippe¹; Hoshizaki, T. Blaine¹; Gilchrist, Michael D.^1,2; Post, Andrew¹

Estimating the influence of neckform compliance on brain tissue strain during a helmeted impact

Stapp Car Crash J. 2010;54:37-48

Affiliations

¹Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, University of Ottawa, Canada

²School of Electrical, Electronic & Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
Abstract and keywords

The aim of this study was to determine if a change in neckform compliance could influence maximum principal strain in the brain white and grey matter, the brain stem and the cerebellum. This was done by impacting a Hybrid III headform with a 16.6 kg impactor arm at 5 m\mks\u-\u1. Three different Hybrid III neckforms were used: 1) one 50th percentile male neckform - standard neckform; 2) one 50th percentile male neckform plus 30 percent compliance - soft neckform; 3) one 50th percentile male neckform minus 30 percent compliance - stiff neckform. The kinematic data obtained was then used to drive a finite element model developed by University College Dublin. The results showed that a decrease in neckform compliance had a significant effect on maximal principal strain in the cerebellum, where the stiff neck (0.050 ± 0.004) generated higher maximum principal strains than the standard neck (0.036 ± 0.003) and the soft neck (0.037 ± 0.001). There were no significant differences between the stiff (0.122 ± 0.013), standard (0.114 ± 0.020) and soft neck (0.119 ± 0.019) in the white matter; the stiff (0.168 ± 0.011), standard (0.176 ± 0.011) and soft neck (0.176 ± 0.007) in the grey matter; or the stiff (0.080 ± 0.003), standard (0.081 ± 0.006) and soft neck (0.085 ± 0.009) in the brain stem. The results were not linked to brain injury due to the absence of a commonly accepted threshold.

Keywords: Impact biomechanics; brain injury; finite element; maximal principal strain.
Links

SAE: 2010-22-0003

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2012	Kendall M, Post A, Rousseau P, Oeur A, Gilchrist MD, Hoshizaki B. A comparison of dynamic impact response and brain deformation metrics within the cerebrum of head impact reconstructions representing three mechanisms of head injury in ice hockey. In: Proceedings of the 2012 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 12-14, 2012; Dublin, Ireland.430-440.
2017	Koncan DA, Zemek R, Gilchrist MD, Hoshizaki TB. Helmet construction influences brain strain patterns for events causing concussion in youth ice hockey. In: Proceedings of the 2017 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 13-15, 2017; Antwerp, Belgium.201-210.
2018	Bland ML, McNally C, Rowson S. Headform and neck effects on dynamic response in bicycle helmet oblique impact testing. In: Proceedings of the 2018 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 12-14, 2018; Athens, Greece.413-423.
2021	Zimmerman KA, Kim J, Karton C, Lochhead L, Sharp DJ, Hoshizaki T, Ghajari M. Player position in American football influences the magnitude of mechanical strains produced in the location of chronic traumatic encephalopathy pathology: a computational modelling study. J Biomech. March 30, 2021;118:110256.
2021	Bruneau DA, Cronin DS. Brain response of a computational head model for prescribed skull kinematics and simulated football helmet impact boundary conditions. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. March 2021;115:104299.
2011	Loyd AM. Studies of the Human Head from Neonate to Adult: An Inertial, Geometrical and Structural Analysis With Comparisons to the ATD Head [PhD thesis]. Duke University; 2011.
2018	Kuo C. Measurement and Modeling of Head Impact Kinematics [PhD thesis]. Stanford University; May 2018.
2012	Oeur A. An Analysis of Head Impact Angle on the Dynamic Response of a Hybrid III Headform and Brain Tissue Deformation [Master's thesis]. Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa; December 2012.
2019	Bruneau D. Investigation of Head and Brain Response in Football Helmet Impacts Using a Finite Element Model of the Head and Neck With Active Muscle [Master's thesis]. University of Waterloo; 2019.
2019	Bland ML. Assessing the Efficacy of Bicycle Helmets in Reducing Risk of Head Injury [PhD thesis]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; March 28, 2019.