A linear impactor system was used to apply a condensed version of the University of Ottawa Test Protocol, employing five centric and non-centric impact conditions, to a Hybrid III headform fitted with six certified ice hockey helmets. None of the helmeted conditions exceeded linear acceleration thresholds for traumatic or mild traumatic brain injury; however, five of the six helmets had angular acceleration results that were above the 80% risk of mild traumatic brain injury threshold proposed by Zhang et al. High risk of mild traumatic brain injury was associated with non-centric impact conditions and peak angular accelerations, supporting the need for improved three-dimensional helmet certification standards.
Canadian Standard Association. 38p: CAN/CSA Z262.1-09: 2009. Ice hockey helmets.
2.
American Society for Testing and Materials. 10p: F1045-07:2007. Standard performance specification for ice hockey helmets.
3.
WennebergRATatorCH. National Hockey League reported concussions, 1986–87 to 2001–02. Can J Neurol Sci. 2003; 30: 206–209.
4.
FlikKLymanSMarxRG. American collegiate men’s ice hockey: an analysis of injuries. Am J Sports Med2005; 33(2): 183–187.
5.
WalshESHoshizakiTB. Sensitivity analysis of a hybrid III head- and neckform to impact angle variations. Procedia Engineering2010; 2(2): 3487.
6.
WalshESRousseauPForemanS. The determination of novel impact conditions for the assessment of linear and angular headform accelerations. In: International Society of Biomechanics in Sports conference, August 2009, Limerick, Ireland.
7.
WalshESRousseauPHoshizakiTB. The influence of impact location and angle on the dynamic impact response of a hybrid III headform. Sp Eng2011; 13(3): 135–143.
8.
GennerelliTAThibaultLEAdamsJH. Diffuse axonal injury and traumatic coma in the primate. Annals of Neurology1982; 12(6): 564–574.
9.
GurdjianES. Impact head injury: mechanistic, clinical and preventative correlations. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, 1975.
10.
HolbournAHS. Mechanics of head injury. The Lancet1943; ii: 438–441.
11.
KingAIYangKHZhangL. Is head injury caused by linear or angular acceleration? In: IRCOBI Conference, 2003, Lisbon, Portugal.
12.
ZhangLYangKHKingAI. A proposed injury threshold for mild traumatic brain injury. J Biomech Engng2004; 126: 226–236.
13.
RousseauPHoshizakiTB. The influence of deflection and neck compliance on the impact dynamics of a Hybrid III headform. Proc IMechE, Part P: J Sports Engineering and Technology2009; 223(3): 89–97.
14.
ForemanSG. The dynamic impact response of a hybrid III head- and neckform under four neck orientations and three impact locations. MSc dissertation, University of Ottawa, Canada, 2011.
15.
RousseauPWalshESForemanS. The effect of impact condition on the relationship between linear and angular acceleration. In: International Society of Biomechanics in Sports conference, August 2009, Limerick, Ireland.
16.
PostAOeurAHoshizakiTB. Examination of the relationship between peak linear and angular accelerations to brain deformation metrics in hockey helmet impacts. Computer Methods Biomech Biomed Engng. Epub ahead of print21December2011. DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2011.62755910.1080/10255842.2011.627559.
17.
BishopPJ. Head protection in sport with particular application to ice hockey. Ergonomics1976; 19(4): 451–464.
18.
CoulsonNRForemanSGHoshizakiTB. Translational and rotational accelerations generated during reconstructed ice hockey impacts on a Hybrid III head form. J ASTM International2009; 6(2): 8pp.
19.
PadagaonkarAJKriegerKWKingAI. Measurement of angular acceleration of a rigid body using linear accelerometers. J Appl Mech1975; 42(3): 552–556.
20.
OeurAPostAHoshizakiTB. The correlation between brain deformation metrics and acceleration using a linear and non-linear impact protocol. In: International Society of Biomechanics conference, July 2011, Brussels, Belgium.
21.
PostAOeurAHoshizakiTB. The influence of kinematic variables on brain deformation metrics from hockey helmet impacts. In: International Society of Biomechanics conference, July 2011, Brussels, Belgium.
22.
SimFHChaoEY. Injury potential in modern ice hockey. Am J Sports Med1978; 6(6): 378–384.
