The Comparison of Acceleration Reduction Methods in Simulated Head and Neck

Overview

Traumatic brain injury is attributed to the violent movement the head and brain incur during a collision. By reducing the speed at which the head moves through changing the energy from the hit into different forms of energy, concussions and other injuries could be prevented. A system connecting the head to the upper torso with an acceleration reduction mechanism could significantly reduce the head’s acceleration and the distance it moves. To test this theory, substances with different elasticities, such as 250 kilogram paracord and elastic shock-cording, were tested in a drop test in which a weight was connected to the end of the cording and dropped for four centimeters. Three different weights were used (200, 500, and 1,000 grams). A simulated head, brain, and neck was then constructed and these trial groups as well as homemade shock absorbers were tested in a controlled collision. The acceleration and the distance traveled by the simulated head in each trial group was measured and compared. Various impacts were tested to see how each trial group responded to different collisions. In the drop tests, rubber elastic cording significantly reduced maximum acceleration, compared to a relatively non-elastic paracord control (P=0.0001). In the simulated head and neck trials, paracord reduced the distance the simulated head traveled by 71% and shock cord reduced the distance by 21%.

Competition history

• AJAS 2018 Category not listed

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