Abstract Details

Title From Army-Navy to the NFL: The Evolution of the Football Helmet

Topic Sports Neurology

Presentation(s) P01 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 268

Objective

Background BACKGROUND: Football head injuries have accounted for a disproportionate amount of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in contact sports. The pathophysiology of TBI and head impact kinematics have informed the development and design of optimal protective head equipment for athletes engaged in football.

Design/Methods DESIGN/METHODS: Review literature examining incidence and mechanism of football related TBI, technologies examining head kinematics and their influence on helmet design, testing, modifications and current research trends.

Results RESULTS: The helmet was historically used in warfare when enemies discovered that blows to the cranium rendered opposing combatants incapacitated. From 1869-1905, 159 serious injuries and 18 deaths were attributed to American football on-field injuries. The first documented use of the helmet in American football occurred in the 1893 Army-Navy Game when helmets were composed of leather. Helmets became mandatory in 1939-1940 in collegiate and professional football, although their design and protective qualities were modest at best. With the advent of prospective head and spine injury data, development of human tolerance and head impact severity scales, establishment of the National Operations Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), and regulation of helmet impact testing, protective features of football helmets became standardized. Along with rules prohibiting intentional head-on tackling, a resultant decreased incidence of head and spine injuries was observed. Today, helmet design continues to evolve to meet the needs of players using technologies to measure replicated and real-time head kinematics in response to head impact.

Conclusions CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of the football helmet from its leather debut to its modern double crown shell-liner design reflect the advancement of biomechanical impact technologies and continuing investigations of the pathophysiology of concussions with the goal of decreasing the incidence and severity of TBI in American football.

Authors/Disclosures
Michael A. Johnson, MD, FAAN PRESENTER	Dr. Johnson has received personal compensation in the range of $100,000-$499,999 for serving as a Consultant for CEFALY technologies.
Mill Etienne, MD, MPH, FAAN	Dr. Etienne has nothing to disclose.
David Miller	No disclosure on file

��ɫ��

��ɫ��