WVXU: Football helmets don't protect back of head as well
UC biomedical engineer studies concussions in football
WVXU highlighted concussion research by the University of Cincinnati that explored how well helmets protect players from hits at different angles.
Eric Nauman, a professor of biomedical engineering in UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science, put popular football helmets made by leading brands through impact testing and found that no single design demonstrated superior reduction of potential concussion incidence or consistent energy absorption at every part of the helmet.
Concussions from football are a health concern across all age groups from youth sports to professional leagues.
Nauman's study was published in the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.
Nauman's tests showed that players are especially vulnerable to potential concussions from hits to the back of their helmets such as when their head hits the ground.
“The classic one is that Tua Tagovailoa, when he's playing the Bills. He fell backwards and hit his head on the ground,” Nauman told WVXU. “He clearly was impaired after that. We think that's largely because that helmet doesn't absorb a lot of the energy when it's a blow to the back of the head.”
Nauman says he doesn't want to prevent anybody from playing football, he just wants to make the game safer for those who do want to play.
Featured image at top: UC biomedical engineering professor Eric Nauman is studying ways to make helmets safer in his lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
UC student Christopher Boles uses a modal hammer to strike a helmet. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Related Stories
UC Research Ranking Climbs
January 10, 2002
The University of Cincinnati moved up in two different national rankings established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to compare college and university research efforts.
Three of Four UC Fulbrights Scholars from McMicken
January 28, 2002
Tainted water supplies in Bangladesh, international security and missile defense, transformations in Mexico and greater understanding of India - this varied list sums up the work of four Fulbright Scholars at the University of Cincinnati who are concentrating on real-life issues involving our neighbors around the world.
Celebrating CAS' Deep Roots in Cincinnati
November 11, 2002
UC s College of Applied Science (CAS) is set to celebrate its rich heritage as the quiet cornerstone upon which Cincinnati industry, learning and culture has built itself since the school s founding on Nov. 20, 1828. The school was founded as the Ohio Mechanics Institute, the first school dedicated to technical education west of the Alleghenies. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the college will toast its birth with a Founder s Day reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the first floor of the CAS Administration Building, 2220 Victory Parkway.