Do American Football Helmets Protect Players Against Concussions?

摘要

In recent years, reported concussions among American football players have attracted investigators attention as to the safety of the football helmet. This study investigates the effects of concussive impact forces on the brain of football players and the shock absorbing performance of actual football helmets. Initially, a lumped-mass analysis of the helmet and the head was carried out and then more detailed finite element models of the head and the helmet were analyzed. The results indicate that the acceleration and strain of the brain are both above the threshold of the concussion and that the current design of football helmet may not protect players against concussion.