The existence of devices to protect one’s head from impact injury certainly predated any understanding we may have about the biomechanics of head injury. From the pioneering work of our own John Paul Stapp, of Gurdjian, and of Holbourne to the complex finite element models of today, incredible progress has been made in our field. Yet we still have a long way to go to optimize head protection. From the metal gladiator head gear through rudimentary leather bonnets, to helmets today that for the first time are beginning to address rotationally-induced brain injury, this evolution has not been without serious technical struggles.

The development of protective headgear has been governed largely by test standards that have been adopted to quantify helmet performance requirements. To a great extent these standards are designed and promulgated by people with the absolute best of intentions. Yet the mechanical, and especially the biomechanical, bases of these standards have often been troublesome. This probably has thwarted the development of better head protection sooner. My brief presentation will trace the development of the modern helmet with special emphasis on some of the biomechanical road blocks we have faced along the way.

There are, of course, hundreds and hundreds of papers dealing with this subject. The bibliography below is one selection of publications that more or less covers the field.