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. 2022 Nov;50(11):1620-1632.
doi: 10.1007/s10439-022-03097-7. Epub 2022 Oct 23.

Characterizing Exposure to Head Acceleration Events in Youth Football Using an Instrumented Mouthpiece

Madison E Marks  1   2 , Ty D Holcomb  1   2 , N Stewart Pritchard  1   2 , Logan E Miller  1   2 , Mark A Espeland  3   4 , Christopher M Miles  5 , Justin B Moore  6   7   8 , Kristie L Foley  6   8 , Joel D Stitzel  1   2 , Jillian E Urban  9   10
Affiliations

Characterizing Exposure to Head Acceleration Events in Youth Football Using an Instrumented Mouthpiece

Madison E Marks et al. Ann Biomed Eng. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Understanding characteristics of head acceleration events (HAEs) in youth football is vital in developing strategies to improve athlete safety. This study aimed to characterize HAEs in youth football using an instrumented mouthpiece. Youth football athletes (ages 11-13) participating on two teams were enrolled in this study for one season. Each athlete was instrumented with a mouthpiece-based sensor throughout the season. HAEs were verified on film to ensure that mouthpiece-based sensors triggered during contact. The number of HAEs, peak resultant linear and rotational accelerations, and peak resultant rotational velocity were quantified. Mixed effects models were used to evaluate differences in mean kinematic metrics among all HAEs for session type, athlete position, and contact surface. A total of 5,292 HAEs were collected and evaluated from 30 athletes. The median (95th percentile) peak resultant linear acceleration, rotational acceleration, and rotational velocity was 9.5 g (27.0 g), 666.4 rad s-2 (1863.3 rad s-2), and 8.5 rad s-1 (17.4 rad s-1), respectively. Athletes experienced six (22) HAEs per athlete per session (i.e., practice, game). Competition had a significantly higher mean number of HAEs per athlete per session and mean peak rotational acceleration. Peak resultant rotational kinematics varied significantly among athlete positions. Direct head impacts had higher mean kinematics compared to indirect HAEs, from body collisions. The results of this study demonstrate that session type, athlete position, and contact surface (i.e., direct, indirect) may influence HAE exposure in youth football.

Keywords: American football; Head impact exposure; Head kinematics; Instrumented mouthguard; Video review.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that they have no known conflicts of interest. Dr. Joel D. Stitzel and Dr. Jillian E. Urban (authors) have a patent pending on the mouthpiece instrumentation utilized in this study. The results of this study are presented clearly, honestly, and without data manipulation, fabrication, or falsification.

Figures

Figure 1 -
Figure 1 -
Instrumented mouthpiece components.
Figure 2 -
Figure 2 -
Peak resultant head kinematics by session type. A) Percentage of direct versus indirect HAEs by session type. B) Peak resultant linear acceleration, C) peak resultant rotational acceleration, and D) peak resultant rotational velocity by session type, stratified by direct and indirect HAEs. * Indicates significant difference.
Figure 3 -
Figure 3 -
Head kinematics by position. A) Percentage of direct versus indirect HAEs by position. B) Peak resultant linear acceleration, C) peak resultant rotational acceleration, and D) peak resultant rotational velocity by position, stratified by direct and indirect HAEs.
Figure 4 -
Figure 4 -
Head kinematics by contact surface. A) Percentage of true positive HAEs that fall under each contact surface. B) Peak resultant linear acceleration, C) peak resultant rotational acceleration, and D) peak resultant rotational velocity by contact surface.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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