枪弹冲击下新型防弹头盔质量对颈椎损伤影响

目的建立有效的头颈部及防弹头盔有限元模型,研究枪弹冲击不同质量防弹头盔时颈部的生物力学响应。方法通过在头盔本体(1.24 kg)增加附件均布质量2 kg,并加载手枪弹以450 m/s速度从正面、侧面、顶部冲击防弹头盔,获得人体颈椎的力学响应。结果受到冲击时,颈椎应力远大于颅骨应力。枪弹冲击防弹头盔时,相比头部,颈椎为易受伤部位,其中椎骨C3所受应力最大。不考虑增加附件质量时,子弹从正面、侧面、顶部方向冲击头盔时,侧面冲击对颈椎伤害最大,相比其他方向冲击最大应力约增加2.58%;同时正面冲击对头部损伤最大,应力约增加59.4%。考虑附件质量时,头盔质量越大对颈椎的损伤越严重。头盔质量从1.24 kg增加到3.24 kg,顶部冲击对颈椎的损伤最大,其应力相比其他方向冲击增加12.98%。结论在设计防弹头盔时应考虑其轻量化,研究结果为防弹头盔设计提供科学参考。     

Axial head rotation increases facet joint capsular ligament strains in automotive rear impact

Axial head rotation prior to low speed automotive rear impacts has been clinically identified to increase morbidity and symptom duration. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of axial head rotation on facet joint capsule strains during simulated rear impacts. The study was conducted using a validated intact head to first thoracic vertebra (T1) computational model. Parametric analysis was used to assess effects of increasing axial head rotation between 0 and 60° and increasing impact severity between 8 and 24 km/h on facet joint capsule strains. Rear impacts were simulated by horizontally accelerating the T1 vertebra. Characteristics of the acceleration pulse were based on the horizontal T1 acceleration pulse from a series of simulated rear impact experiments using full-body post mortem human subjects. Joint capsule strain magnitudes were greatest in ipsilateral facet joints for all simulations incorporating axial head rotation (i.e., head rotation to the left caused higher ligament strain at the left facet joint capsule). Strain magnitudes increased by 47–196% in simulations with 60° head rotation compared to forward facing simulations. These findings indicate that axial head rotation prior to rear impact increases the risk of facet joint injury.     

气囊式头盔防护下的两轮车骑车人头部损伤风险分析

目的 提出一种气囊式头盔缓冲内衬结构,并分析其对两轮车骑车人头部损伤的防护效果。方法 将气囊式内衬应用于自行车（半盔）和摩托车（全盔）两款典型的两轮车骑车人头盔,通过标准GB 24429-2009和法规ECE R22.05测试工况下的有限元碰撞仿真,获得人体头部模型运动学和生物力学响应,从颅骨骨折和颅脑损伤风险角度对比常规聚苯乙烯泡沫塑料（expanded polystyrene, EPS）头盔,综合评价气囊式头盔的防护性能。结果 当气囊压力为0.06 MPa时,气囊式头盔（半盔/全盔）防护下的人体头部颅骨骨折相关量分别小于120 g和150 g,颅骨骨折风险基本低于40%;颅脑最大主应变均小于0.3,轻度脑损伤风险均低于25%;气囊式头盔防护下的人体颅骨骨折和颅脑损伤风险均低于EPS头盔。结论 本文设计的气囊式头盔具有较好的防护效果,能兼顾颅骨骨折和颅脑损伤防护,可以为新型头盔的设计提供基础示例。损伤风险分析也可为骑车人头部损伤应急诊断提供初步参考。     

Dynamic Response Due to Behind Helmet Blunt Trauma Measured with a Human Head Surrogate

A Human Head Surrogate has been developed for use in behind helmet blunt trauma experiments. This human head surrogate fills the void between Post-Mortem Human Subject testing (with biofidelity but handling restrictions) and commercial ballistic head forms (with no biofidelity but ease of use). This unique human head surrogate is based on refreshed human craniums and surrogate materials representing human head soft tissues such as the skin, dura, and brain. A methodology for refreshing the craniums is developed and verified through material testing. A test methodology utilizing these unique human head surrogates is also developed and then demonstrated in a series of experiments in which non-perforating ballistic impact of combat helmets is performed with and without supplemental ceramic appliques for protecting against larger caliber threats. Sensors embedded in the human head surrogates allow for direct measurement of intracranial pressure, cranial strain, and head and helmet acceleration. Over seventy (70) fully instrumented experiments have been executed using this unique surrogate. Examples of the data collected are presented. Based on these series of tests, the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Human Head Surrogate has demonstrated great potential for providing insights in to injury mechanics resulting from non-perforating ballistic impact on combat helmets, and directly supports behind helmet blunt trauma studies.     

Effects of head size and morphology on dynamic responses to impact loading

Head responses subjected to impact loading are studied using the finite element method. The dynamic responses of the stress, strain, strain energy density and the intracranial pressure govern the intracranial tissues and skull material failures, and therefore, the traumatic injuries. The objectivity and consistency of the prevailing head traumatic injury criteria, i.e., the energy absorption, the gravity centre acceleration and the head injury criterion (HIC), are examined with regard to the head dynamic responses. In particular, the structural intensity (STI) (the vector representation of energy flow rate) is calculated and discussed. From the simulations, the STI, instead of the gravity centre acceleration, the HIC and the energy absorption criteria, is found to be consistent with the dynamic response quantities. The different local skull curvatures at impact have a marginal effect whereas the locations of the impact loadings have significant effects on the dynamics responses or the head injury. The STI also shows the failure patterns.     

The Importance of the Scalp in Head Impact Kinematics

The best way to reduce the risk of head injury (up to 69% reduction) is to wear a helmet. In recent years, the improvement of helmet standard tests focused on reproducing realistic impact conditions and including the effect of rotational acceleration. However, less importance has been given to the development of a realistic headform. The goal of this work was to evaluate the role of scalp tissue in head impact kinematics; both with respect to its mechanical properties and with respect to its sliding properties. An EN960 and HIII headform were subjected to linear and oblique impacts, respectively, both with and without porcine scalp attached. Different speeds, impact locations and impact surfaces were tested. Standard linear drop tests (EN960) showed that the scalp reduced the impact energy by up to 68.7% (rear impact). Oblique head impact tests showed how the headform-anvil friction coefficient changes when the HIII is covered with scalp, affecting linear and rotational accelerations. Therefore, the scalp plays an important role in head impacts and it should be realistically represented in headforms used for impact tests and in numerical models of the human head.     

Methodology to determine skull bone and brain responses from ballistic helmet-to-head contact loading using experiments and finite element analysis

The objective of the study was to obtain helmet-to-head contact forces from experiments, use a human head finite element model to determine regional responses, and compare outputs to skull fracture and brain injury thresholds. Tests were conducted using two types of helmets (A and B) fitted to a head-form. Seven load cells were used on the head-form back face to measure helmet-to-head contact forces. Projectiles were fired in frontal, left, right, and rear directions. Three tests were conducted with each helmet in each direction. Individual and summated force- and impulse-histories were obtained. Force-histories were inputted to the human head–helmet finite element model. Pulse durations were approximately 4 ms. One-third force and impulse were from the central load cell. 0.2% strain and 40 MPa stress limits were not exceeded for helmet-A. For helmet-B, strains exceeded in left, right, and rear; pressures exceeded in bilateral directions; volume of elements exceeding 0.2% strains correlated with the central load cell forces. For helmet-A, volumes exceeding brain pressure threshold were: 5–93%. All elements crossed the pressure limit for helmet-B. For both helmets, no brain elements exceeded peak principal strain limit. These findings advance our understanding of skull and brain biomechanics from helmet–head contact forces.     

Evaluation of Three Animal Models for Concussion and Serious Brain Injury

Three animal models were evaluated in this study involving head impacts of the rat, including the Marmarou drop-weight and two momentum-exchange techniques. In series 1, 36 Wistar rats were hit on the side of the free-moving head using Marmarou’s 450 g impact mass at 4.4, 5.4, and 6.3 m/s. Head acceleration was measured and injuries were observed. The 6.3-m/s side impact resulted in no deaths, no skull fractures, infrequent contusions, and some injuries consistent with diffuse axonal injury. In series 2, 57 Marmarou drop-weight tests were conducted to study head biomechanical responses. Marmarou’s technique involves a head impact followed by prolonged loading into a foam pad under the animal. Based on the literature, the 2 m (6.3 m/s) Marmarou drop causes death, skull fracture, brain and spinal cord contusions, and diffuse axonal injury. These injuries are more severe than that occurring with impact of similar mass and velocity to the free-moving head. Impacts to the free-moving head provide more realistic animal models to study concussion and severe brain injury.     

不同载荷作用下头部生物力学响应仿真分析

目的建立符合解剖结构的人颅骨三维有限元模型,研究多种载荷作用下头部生物力学响应。方法通过建立具有解剖结构的高精度头部有限元模型,颅骨采用能模拟骨折的弹塑性材料本构模型,结合已发表的正面冲击颅内压实验、动态颅骨骨折实验、头部跌落实验结果,仿真再现实验过程中头部受冲击载荷作用下的生物力学响应、颅骨骨折及头部不同速度下的跌落响应。结果前碰撞表现出冲击与对冲侧正-负颅内压分布,相近载荷下枕骨变形比前额、顶骨严重,跌落中速度越快损伤越大。结论建立精确解剖结构的头部有限元模型可以较好模拟头部在冲击、跌落等载荷下的生物力学响应。通过量化接触力、颅内压力等参数来评价头部损伤风险,为防护系统的设计提供科学依据。     

Nano-Composite Foam Sensor System in Football Helmets

American football has both the highest rate of concussion incidences as well as the highest number of concussions of all contact sports due to both the number of athletes and nature of the sport. Recent research has linked concussions with long term health complications such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy and early onset Alzheimer’s. Understanding the mechanical characteristics of concussive impacts is critical to help protect athletes from these debilitating diseases and is now possible using helmet-based sensor systems. To date, real time on-field measurement of head impacts has been almost exclusively measured by devices that rely on accelerometers or gyroscopes attached to the player’s helmet, or embedded in a mouth guard. These systems monitor motion of the head or helmet, but do not directly measure impact energy. This paper evaluates the accuracy of a novel, multifunctional foam-based sensor that replaces a portion of the helmet foam to measure impact. All modified helmets were tested using a National Operating Committee Standards for Athletic Equipment-style drop tower with a total of 24 drop tests (4 locations with 6 impact energies). The impacts were evaluated using a headform, instrumented with a tri-axial accelerometer, mounted to a Hybrid III neck assembly. The resultant accelerations were evaluated for both the peak acceleration and the severity indices. These data were then compared to the voltage response from multiple Nano Composite Foam sensors located throughout the helmet. The foam sensor system proved to be accurate in measuring both the HIC and Gadd severity index, as well as peak acceleration while also providing additional details that were previously difficult to obtain, such as impact energy.     

头盔质量和质心对军机飞行员颈部肌力的影响

目的研究头盔质量和质心偏移对军机飞行员颈部肌肉活动特性的影响。方法基于AnyBody软件平台建立头颈部肌骨模型,包含C0、C1-7、T1和136组头颈部肌肉。采用集中载荷模拟头盔作用,对不同头盔质量、质心位置和加速度载荷下的7个主要肌群的肌力进行了仿真计算。结果当头盔质心与头部质心重合时,支配后伸的头半棘肌、肩胛提肌、头夹肌和颈夹肌处于收缩发力状态。当头盔质量增大,这些肌群肌力也随之线性增加,并且加速度载荷对肌力增大程度起放大作用。头盔质心后移,会降低后伸肌群的肌力,增大前屈肌群受力。头盔质心左右偏移引起的附加侧弯力矩则会激活支配侧弯功能的肌群的活动。结论头盔质量和质心位置对颈部肌群活动特性有明显影响,本文建立的头颈部肌骨模型可以计算不同状态下肌力的变化,头盔设计和使用过程可采用该技术进行定量分析。     

Comparison of Ice Hockey Goaltender Helmets for Concussion Type Impacts

Concussions are among the most common injuries sustained by ice hockey goaltenders and can result from collisions, falls and puck impacts. However, ice hockey goaltender helmet certification standards solely involve drop tests to a rigid surface. This study examined how the design characteristics of different ice hockey goaltender helmets affect head kinematics and brain strain for the three most common impact events associated with concussion for goaltenders. A NOCSAE headform was impacted under conditions representing falls, puck impacts and shoulder collisions while wearing three different types of ice hockey goaltender helmet models. Resulting linear and rotational acceleration as well as maximum principal strain were measured for each impact condition. The results indicate that a thick liner and stiff shell material are desirable design characteristics for falls and puck impacts to reduce head kinematic and brain tissue responses. However for collisions, the shoulder being more compliant than the materials of the helmet causes insufficient compression of the helmet materials and minimizing any potential performance differences. This suggests that current ice hockey goaltender helmets can be optimized for protection against falls and puck impacts. However, given collisions are the leading cause of concussion for ice hockey goaltenders and the tested helmets provided little to no protection, a clear opportunity exists to design new goaltender helmets which can better protect ice hockey goaltenders from collisions.     

Age has a Minimal Effect on the Impact Performance of Field-Used Bicycle Helmets

Helmet manufacturers recommend replacing a bicycle helmet after an impact or after anywhere from 2 to 10 years of use. The goal of this study was to quantify the effect of helmet age on peak headform acceleration during impact attenuation testing of field-used bicycle helmets. Helmets were acquired by donation from consumers and retail stores, and were included in the study if they were free of impact-related damage, had a legible manufacture date label, and were certified to at least one helmet standard. Helmets (n = 770) spanning 0–26 years old were drop tested to measure peak linear headform acceleration during impacts to the right and left front regions of the helmets at two impact speeds (3.0 and 6.2 m/s). General linear mixed models were used to assess the effect of age and three covariates (helmet style, size and certification impact speed) on peak acceleration. Overall, age was related to either no difference or a statistically significant but small increase (≤0.76 g/year of helmet age) in peak headform acceleration. Extrapolated across 20 years, age-related differences were less than both style- (traditional vs. BMX) and size-related differences. The age-related differences were also less than the variability observed between different helmets after accounting for style, size and certification effects. These findings mean that bicycle helmets (up to 26-year-old traditional helmets and 13-year-old BMX helmets) do not lose their ability to attenuate impacts with age; however, other helmet features that may change with age were not evaluated in this study.     

The influence of headform orientation and flooring systems on impact dynamics during simulated fall-related head impacts

Novel compliant flooring systems are a promising approach for reducing fall-related injuries in seniors, as they may provide up to 50% attenuation in peak force during simulated hip impacts while eliciting only minimal influences on balance. This study aimed to determine the protective capacity of novel compliant floors during simulated 'high severity' head impacts compared to common flooring systems. A headform was impacted onto a common Commercial-Carpet at 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 m/s in front, back, and side orientations using a mechanical drop tower. Peak impact force applied to the headform (F(max)), peak linear acceleration of the headform (g(max)) and Head Injury Criterion (HIC) were determined. For the 3.5 m/s trials, backwards-oriented impacts were associated with the highest F(max) and HIC values (p<0.001); accordingly, this head orientation was used to complete additional trials on three common floors (Resilient Rubber, Residential-Loop Carpet, Berber Carpet) and six novel compliant floors at each impact velocity. ANOVAs indicated that flooring type was associated with all parameters at each impact velocity (p<0.001). Compared to impacts on the Commercial Carpet, Dunnett's post hoc indicated all variables were smaller (25-80%) for the novel compliant floors (p<0.001), but larger for Resilient Rubber (31-159%, p<0.01). This study demonstrates that during 'high severity' simulated impacts, novel compliant floors can substantially reduce the forces and accelerations applied to a headform compared to common floors including carpet and resilient rubber. In combination with reports of minimal balance impairments, these findings support the promise of novel compliant floors as a biomechanically effective strategy for reducing fall-related injuries including traumatic brain injuries and skull fractures.     

Head Impact Biomechanics in Youth Hockey: Comparisons Across Playing Position, Event Types, and Impact Locations

The age at which young hockey players should safely body check is unknown. We sought to determine if playing position (defensemen vs. forwards), event type (practice vs. game), or head impact location (top vs. back vs. front vs. sides) had an effect on head impact biomechanics in youth hockey. A total of 52 Bantam (13–14 years old) and Midget (15–16 years old) ice hockey players wore accelerometer-instrumented helmets for two seasons. Biomechanical data were captured for 12,253 head impacts during 151 games and 137 practices. Random intercepts general mixed linear models were employed to analyze differences in linear acceleration, rotational acceleration, and HITsp by player position, event type, and head impact location. Head impacts sustained during games resulted in greater rotational acceleration and HITsp than those sustained during practices. No event type or playing position differences in linear acceleration were observed. Impacts to the top of the head resulted in greater linear acceleration, but lower rotational acceleration and HITsp, than impacts to back, front, or side of the head. Side head impacts yielded greater rotational acceleration and HITsp compared to the other head impact locations. Since linear and rotational accelerations were observed in all impacts, future hockey helmet design standards should include rotational acceleration limits in addition to the current linear acceleration standards.     

Dynamic Response and Residual Helmet Liner Crush Using Cadaver Heads and Standard Headforms

Biomechanical headforms are used for helmet certification testing and reconstructing helmeted head impacts; however, their biofidelity and direct applicability to human head and helmet responses remain unclear. Dynamic responses of cadaver heads and three headforms and residual foam liner deformations were compared during motorcycle helmet impacts. Instrumented, helmeted heads/headforms were dropped onto the forehead region against an instrumented flat anvil at 75, 150, and 195 J. Helmets were CT scanned to quantify maximum liner crush depth and crush volume. General linear models were used to quantify the effect of head type and impact energy on linear acceleration, head injury criterion (HIC), force, maximum liner crush depth, and liner crush volume and regression models were used to quantify the relationship between acceleration and both maximum crush depth and crush volume. The cadaver heads generated larger peak accelerations than all three headforms, larger HICs than the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), larger forces than the Hybrid III and ISO, larger maximum crush depth than the ISO, and larger crush volumes than the DOT. These significant differences between the cadaver heads and headforms need to be accounted for when attempting to estimate an impact exposure using a helmet’s residual crush depth or volume.     

关于头部组织材料性能敏感性对颅内压力响应的研究

应用有限元法 (finiteelementmethod)和试验设计技术 (design of experimentDOE)研究人头部颅骨(skull)、脑脊液 (cerebral spinal fluidCSF)和脑髓 (brain)材料性能的敏感性对颅内因撞击而产生的压力响应。该研究采用头部的有限元模型 ,用三因子、三层次的因子试验设计对影响颅内因撞击而引起的压力的颅骨、脑脊液和脑髓的材料性质的敏感性进行分析。研究结果进一步证实了颅骨、脑脊液、脑髓的材料性能对颅内因撞击而引起的压力的重要影响。本研究为进一步的头部的有限元分析提供了新的见解 ,并提出了对头部组织的材料性能作更进一步的探索。     

面部碰撞对行人创伤性脑损伤影响的生物力学研究

为预测和评判行人面部碰撞对创伤性脑损伤机理及生物力学响应,结合计算机断层扫描（CT）和磁共振（MRI）医学成像技术,建立符合中国人体特征的50百分位头颈部几何模型和有限元模型。有限元模型中颅骨与脑之间的相对运动采用切向滑动边界条件,摩擦系数定义为0.2,模拟鼻骨斜碰撞、鼻外侧软骨正面碰撞、牙齿正面碰撞、下颌骨碰撞和颧骨外侧斜碰撞等5种典型面部碰撞交通事故场景,探讨应力波在颅骨和脑内传播路径,得到颅内压力、von Mises等效应力和剪切应力等生物力学响应参数分布规律。结果显示,鼻骨斜碰撞颅内压力峰值为236.7 kPa,von Mises应力为25.97 kPa,超过了大脑耐受阈值;颧骨外侧斜碰撞最大横向剪切应力分别为14.56 kPa和-18.07 kPa,促使脑组织产生了较大的剪切变形,存在严重脑损伤风险。结论表明：面部碰撞的位置和方向是导致面部骨折严重程度的关键因素,面骨骨折的位置决定创伤性脑损伤的部位,面骨骨折都带有一定程度的创伤性脑损伤;头部受到冲击时,面部结构能够吸收大量的冲击能量来保护大脑,降低颅脑损伤的风险。     

Frequency and location of head impact exposures in individual collegiate football players

Context:

Measuring head impact exposure is a critical step toward understanding the mechanism and prevention of sport-related mild traumatic brain (concussion) injury, as well as the possible effects of repeated subconcussive impacts.

Objective:

To quantify the frequency and location of head impacts that individual players received in 1 season among 3 collegiate teams, between practice and game sessions, and among player positions.

Design:

Cohort study.

Setting:

Collegiate football field.

Patients or Other Participants:

One hundred eighty-eight players from 3 National Collegiate Athletic Association football teams.

Intervention(s):

Participants wore football helmets instrumented with an accelerometer-based system during the 2007 fall season.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

The number of head impacts greater than 10g and location of the impacts on the player''s helmet were recorded and analyzed for trends and interactions among teams (A, B, or C), session types, and player positions using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

Results:

The total number of impacts players received was nonnormally distributed and varied by team, session type, and player position. The maximum number of head impacts for a single player on each team was 1022 (team A), 1412 (team B), and 1444 (team C). The median number of head impacts on each team was 4.8 (team A), 7.5 (team B), and 6.6 (team C) impacts per practice and 12.1 (team A), 14.6 (team B), and 16.3 (team C) impacts per game. Linemen and linebackers had the largest number of impacts per practice and per game. Offensive linemen had a higher percentage of impacts to the front than to the back of the helmet, whereas quarterbacks had a higher percentage to the back than to the front of the helmet.

Conclusions:

The frequency of head impacts and the location on the helmet where the impacts occur are functions of player position and session type. These data provide a basis for quantifying specific head impact exposure for studies related to understanding the biomechanics and clinical aspects of concussion injury, as well as the possible effects of repeated subconcussive impacts in football.