Finite element modelling of equestrian helmet impacts exposes the need to address rotational kinematics in future helmet designs

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Forero Rueda, M. A¹; Cuia, L.¹; Gilchrist, M. D.^1,2

Finite element modelling of equestrian helmet impacts exposes the need to address rotational kinematics in future helmet designs

Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng. December 2011;14(12):1021-1031

©2011 Taylor & Francis

Affiliations

¹School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

²School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Abstract and keywords

Jockey head injuries, especially concussions, are common in horse racing. Current helmets do help to reduce the severity and incidences of head injury, but the high concussion incidence rates suggest that there may be scope to improve the performance of equestrian helmets. Finite element simulations in ABAQUS/Explicit were used to model a realistic helmet model during standard helmeted rigid headform impacts and helmeted head model University College Dublin Brain Trauma Model (UCDBTM) impacts.

Current helmet standards for impact determine helmet performance based solely on linear acceleration. Brain injury-related values (stress and strain) from the UCDBTM showed that a performance improvement based on linear acceleration does not imply the same improvement in head injury-related brain tissue loads. It is recommended that angular kinematics be considered in future equestrian helmet standards, as angular acceleration was seen to correlate with stress and strain in the brain.

Keywords: head impact; traumatic brain injury (TBI); concussion; sports helmets; horse racing
Links

DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2010.504922

PubMed: 20665294

WoS: 000299434500001
History

Received: 2010-03-29

Revised: 2010-06-26

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2012	Post A, Oeur A, Hoshizaki B, Gilchrist MD. The influence of centric and non‐centric impacts to American football helmets on the correlation between commonly used metrics in brain injury research. In: Proceedings of the 2012 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 12-14, 2012; Dublin, Ireland.419-429.
2014	Post A, Karton C, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Analysis of the protective capacity of ice hockey helmets in a concussion injury reconstruction. In: Proceedings of the 2014 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 10-12, 2014; Berlin, Germany.72-80.
2015	Bourdet N, Willinger R. Head impact conditions in case of equestrian accident. In: Proceedings of the 2015 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 9-11, 2015; Lyon, France.156-167.
2015	Clark JM, Post A, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Determining the relationship between linear and rotational acceleration and MPS for different magnitudes of classified brain injury risk in ice hockey. In: Proceedings of the 2015 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 9-11, 2015; Lyon, France.168-179.
2017	Clark JM, Connor TA, Williams C, Gilchrist MD. Damage to real world equestrian helmets sustained from impact against different surfaces. In: Proceedings of the 2017 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 13-15, 2017; Antwerp, Belgium.215-217.
2013	Post A, Oeur A, Hoshizaki B, Gilchrist MD. Examination of the relationship between peak linear and angular accelerations to brain deformation metrics in hockey helmet impacts. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng. 2013;16(5):511-519.
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.
2020	McGillivray K. Comparison of Innovated Thermoplastic Polyurethane and Commercial Helmet Lining Technology in Mitigating Concussions as Measured by Linear Accelerations and Risk of Head Injury During Simulated Horizontal Impacts to the Head [Master's thesis]. Thunder Bay, ON: Lakehead University; 2020.
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.
2013	Post A. The Influence of Dynamic Response Characteristics on Traumatic Brain Injury [PhD thesis]. Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa; 2013.
2018	Adanty K. A Comparison Between Two Oblique Test Protocols for Cycling Helmets [Master's thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2018.
2018	Oeur RA. The Effects of Reconstructed Head Impact Event Parameters on Risk of Sport Related Concussions [PhD thesis]. Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa; 2018.
2022	Larsen K. Comparison of Brain Strain Magnitudes Calculated Using Head Tracking Impact Parameters and Body Tracking Impact Parameters Obtained from 2D Video [Master's thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2022.
2022	Lowther S. Effect of Rule Changes Occurring Between 2003 and 2016 on Head Impact Frequency and Brain Strain Magnitude in North American Professional Ice Hockey [Master's thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2022.
2022	Murphy A. Comparing Equestrian Helmets With and Without Rotational Technology Using an Equestrian Concussive Specific Helmet Test Protocol [Master's thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2022.