Sarah J. Manoogian

Analysis of real-time head accelerations in collegiate football players.

Objective: To measure and analyze head accelerations during American collegiate football practices and games. Methods: A newly developed in-helmet 6-accelerometer system that transmits data via radio frequency to a sideline receiver and laptop computer system was implemented. From the data transfer of these accelerometer traces, the sideline staff has real-time data including the head acceleration, the head injury criteria value, the severity index value, and the impact location. Data are presented for instrumented players for the entire 2003 football season, including practices and games. Setting: American collegiate football. Subjects: Thirty-eight players from Virginia Techs varsity football team. Main Outcome Measurements: Accelerations and pathomechanics of head impacts. Results: A total of 3312 impacts were recorded over 35 practices and 10 games for 38 players. The average peak head acceleration, Gadd Severity Index, and Head Injury Criteria were 32 g ± 25 g, 36 g ± 91 g, and 26 g ± 64 g, respectively. One concussive event was observed with a peak acceleration of 81 g, a 267 Gadd Severity Index, and 200 Head Injury Criteria. Because the concussion was not reported until the day after of the event, a retrospective diagnosis based on his history and clinical evaluation suggested a mild concussion. Conclusions: The primary finding of this study is that the helmet-mounted accelerometer system proved effective at collecting thousands of head impact events and providing contemporaneous head impact parameters that can be integrated with existing clinical evaluation techniques.

Analysis of Linear Head Accelerations From Collegiate Football Impacts

Sports-related concussions result in 300,000 brain injuries in the United States each year. We conducted a study utilizing an in-helmet system that measures and records linear head accelerations to analyze head impacts in collegiate football. The Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) System is an in-helmet system with six spring-mounted accelerometers and an antenna that transmits data via radio frequency to a sideline receiver and laptop computer system. A total of 11,604 head impacts were recorded from the Virginia Tech football team throughout the 2003 and 2004 football seasons during 22 games and 62 practices from a total of 52 players. Although the incidence of injury data are limited, this study presents an extremely large data set from human head impacts that provides valuable insight into the lower limits of head acceleration that cause mild traumatic brain injuries.

Comparison of risk factors for cervical spine, head, serious, and fatal injury in rollover crashes

Previous epidemiological studies of rollover crashes have focused primarily on serious and fatal injuries in general, while rollover crash testing has focused almost exclusively on cervical spine injury. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the risk factors for cervical spine, head, serious, and fatal injury in real world rollover crashes. Rollover crashes from 1995-2008 in the National Automotive Sampling System-Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) were investigated. A large data set of 6015 raw cases (2.5 million weighted) was generated. Nonparametric univariate analyses, univariate logistic regression, and multivariate logistic regression were conducted. Complete or partial ejection, a lack of seatbelt use, a greater number of roof inversions, and older occupant age significantly increased the risk of all types of injuries studied (p<0.05). Far side seating position increased the risk of fatal, head, and cervical spine injury (p<0.05), but not serious injury in general. Higher BMI was associated with an increased risk of fatal, serious, and cervical spine injury (p<0.05), but not head injury. Greater roof crush was associated with a higher rate of fatal and cervical spine injury (p<0.05). Vehicle type, occupant height, and occupant gender had inconsistent and generally non-significant effects on injury. This study demonstrates both common and unique risk factors for different types of injuries in rollover crashes.

The tolerance of the frontal bone to blunt impact

The current understanding of the tolerance of the frontal bone to blunt impact is limited. Previous studies have utilized vastly different methods, which limits the use of statistical analyses to determine the tolerance of the frontal bone. The purpose of this study is to determine the tolerance of the frontal bone to blunt impact. Acoustic emission sensors were used to provide a noncensored measure of the frontal bone tolerance and were essential due to the increase in impactor force after fracture onset. In this study, risk functions for fracture were developed using parametric and nonparametric techniques. The results of the statistical analyses suggest that a 50% risk of frontal bone fracture occurs at a force between 1885 N and 2405 N. Subjects that were found to have a frontal sinus present within the impacted region had a significantly higher risk of sustaining a fracture. There was no association between subject age and fracture force. The results of the current study suggest that utilizing peak force as an estimate of fracture tolerance will overestimate the force necessary to create a frontal bone fracture.

Dynamic material properties of the human sclera

As a result of trauma, approximately 30,000 people become blind in one eye every year in the United States. A common injury prediction tool is computational modeling, which requires accurate material properties to produce reliable results. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the dynamic material properties of the human sclera. A high-rate pressurization system was used to create dynamic pressure to the point of rupture in 12 human eyes. Measurements were obtained for the internal pressure, the diameter of the globe, the thickness of the sclera, and the changing coordinates of the optical markers using high-rate video. A relationship between true stress and true strain was determined for the sclera tissue in two directions. It was found that the average maximum true stress was 13.89+/-4.81 MPa for both the equatorial and meridional directions, the average maximum true strain along the equator was 0.041+/-0.014, and the average maximum true strain along the meridian was 0.058+/-0.018. Results show a significant difference in the maximum strain in the equatorial and meridional directions (p=0.02). In comparing these data with previous studies, it is concluded that the human sclera is both anisotropic and viscoelastic. The dynamic material properties presented in this study can be used for advanced models of the human eye to help prevent eye injuries in the future.

Dynamic tensile properties of human placenta

Automobile crashes are the largest cause of injury death for pregnant females and the leading cause of traumatic fetal injury mortality in the United States. Computational models, useful tools to evaluate the risk of fetal loss in motor vehicle crashes, are based on a limited number of quasi-static material tests of the placenta. This study presents a total of 20 dynamic uniaxial tensile tests on the maternal side of the placenta and 10 dynamic uniaxial tensile tests on the chorion layer of the placenta. These tests were completed from 6 human placentas to determine material properties at a strain rate of 7.0 strains/s. The results show that the average peak strain at failure for both the maternal portion and the chorion layer of the placenta are similar with a value of 0.56 and 0.61, respectively. However, the average failure stress for the chorion layer, 167.8 kPa, is much higher than the average failure stress for the placenta with the chorionic plate removed, 18.6 kPa. This is due to differences in the structure and function of these layers in the placenta. In summary, dynamic loading data for the placenta have been determined for use in computational modeling of pregnant occupant kinematics in motor vehicle crashes. Moreover the computational model should utilize the material properties for the placenta without the chorion layer.

The tolerance of the maxilla to blunt impact

This study reports the results of 38 infraorbital maxilla impacts performed on male cadavers. Impacts were performed using an unpadded, cylindrical impactor (3.2 kg) at velocities between 1 and 5 m/s. The peak force and acoustic emission data were used to develop a statistical relationship of fracture risk as a function of impact force. Acoustic emission sensors were used to provide a noncensored measure of the maxilla tolerance and were essential due to the increase in impactor force after fracture onset. Parametric and nonparametric techniques were used to estimate the risk of fracture tolerance. The nonparametric technique produced an estimated 50% risk of fracture between 970 and 1223 N. The results obtained from the parametric and nonparametric techniques were in good agreement. Peak force values achieved in this study were similar to those of previous work and were unaffected by impactor velocity. The results of this study suggest that an impact to the infraorbital maxilla is a load-limited event due to compromise of structural integrity.

Effect of strain rate on the tensile material properties of human placenta.

Automobile crashes are the largest cause of injury death for pregnant females and the leading cause of traumatic fetal injury mortality in the United States. Computational models, useful tools to evaluate the risk of fetal loss in motor vehicle crashes, are based on a limited number of quasistatic material tests of the placenta. This study presents a total of 64 uniaxial tensile tests on coupon specimens from six human placentas at three strain rates. Material properties of the placental tissue were evaluated at strain rates of 0.07/s, 0.70/s, and 7.00/s. The test data have average failure strains of 0.34, 0.36, and 0.37, respectively. Failure stresses of 10.8 kPa, 11.4 kPa, and 18.6 kPa correspond to an increase in strain rate from 0.07/s to 7.0/s. The results indicate rate dependence only when comparing the highest strain rate of 7.0/s to either of the lower rates. There is no significant rate dependence between 0.07/s and 0.70/s. When compared with previous testing of placental tissue, the current study addresses the material response to more strain rates as well as provides a much larger set of available data. In summary, tensile material properties for the placenta have been determined for use in computational modeling of pregnant occupant kinematics in events ranging from low impact activities to severe impacts such as in motor vehicle crashes.

Dynamic material properties of the pregnant human uterus

Given that automobile crashes are the largest single cause of death for pregnant females, scientists are developing advanced computer models of pregnant occupants. The purpose of this study is to quantify the dynamic material properties of the human uterus in order to increase the biofidelity of these models. A total of 19 dynamic tension tests were performed on pregnant human uterus tissues taken from six separate donors. The tissues were collected during full term Cesarean style deliveries and tested within 36 h of surgery. The tissues were processed into uniform coupon sections and tested at 1.5 strains/s using linear motors. Local stress and strain were determined from load data and optical markers using high speed video. The experiments resulted in a non-linear stress versus strain curves with an overall average peak failure true strain of 0.32±0.112 and a corresponding peak failure true stress of 656.3±483.9 kPa. These are the first data available for the dynamic response of pregnant human uterus tissues, and it is anticipated they will increase the accuracy of future pregnant female computational models.

An Evaluation of a Fiber Optic Based Sensor for Measuring Chest and Abdominal Deflection

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of a fiber optic based sensor, ShapeTape, as an instrument for measuring abdominal and chest deflection, and to compare it to the current instrument used in impact biomechanics applications, the chestband. Drift, pressure, and temperature tests were conducted for ShapeTape alone, whereas quasi-static and dynamic loading tests were conducted as comparison tests between the chestband and ShapeTape. The effects of drift and temperature on ShapeTape were very small, averaging 0.26% and 1.2% full scale changes respectively. During the pressure test at a load of 1000 N the ShapeTape sensor tested experience a 7.47% full scale voltage change. The average errors in reporting maximum deflection of the chest form during the quasi-static loading tests were 3.35% and 1.64% for ShapeTape and the chestband respectively. For the dynamic loading tests, the average error in reporting maximum deflection was 8.60% for the ShapeTape and 10.01% for the chestband. The contour output for the ShapeTape and chestband were both very similar to the video analysis. The data from these tests indicate that ShapeTape provides the same degree of accuracy as the chestband.