Riddell VSR-4, a recently discontinued model still worn by some 75,000 high school and college players, and Adams A2000, a less widely used helmet now available for purchase, it was the lowest-rated models in a new testing regime designed to estimate the risk of concussion. The full results were scheduled to appear as the first publicly available objective data on football helmet performance at a Virginia Tech website.
Industry experts have varying degrees of concern about the reliability of the system, but scientists said they were trying to pull the curtain back on helmet performance mysteries. Recent concerns about industrial testing standards and specific companies advertising has led to an investigation by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.
"If you go to buy a helmet, all you're looking at is currently aesthetics and price and regardless of the manufacturer says you are trying to convince you if it is a good thing," says Stefan Duma, Virginia Tech lead, biomedical engineer on the project. "We wanted to develop a system to quantify what helmets improves specifically at the risk of concussion."
The only standardized test of helmets assessed today if a helmet can allow a skull fracture, not a less serious injury a concussion. It is overseen by the National Committee for operation on standards for Athletic equipment, a volunteer group that provides manufacturers and other interested parties.
Riddels Revolution speed model earned a five stars in the Virginia Tech scale, followed by five four-star helmets by Riddell and Schutt and Xenith. Only helmets intended for players of high school age and older were examined.
"Half our team is, for example, VSR-4 — and there is a significant reduction of concussion risks in newer helmets, so by autumn ball, we will be in new," the Duma said for Virginia Tech football team. A prominent college programs have used outdated Helmets would specify how rural high schools can provide players with less protection.
Virginia Tech has for eight years had players in college programs nationwide wear helmets equipped with accelerometers to track the number and severity of hits to the head, as well as documented concussions. This data shows such as how the event that results in 100 g's power to reach the skull leads to a diagnosed concussion 1% of the time.
Helmet models was drop tested from five heights to assess how much power that they allow to reach the skull; the lower that power, the lower the risk of concussion and better helmet did. The method that has been reviewed and approved for publication by the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.
As an example of the use of its system, the Duma said, "you can cut your risk of concussion 55 percent by switching from VSR-4 to the Xenith X 1."
Critics have cited several restrictions on Virginia Tech strategy. It considers not rotating forces are believed to cause a large number of concussions. The collection of data from player came through helmets designed by Riddell, may skew results. Additionally, only certain concussions reported, so the harm true prevalence is still too much of a mystery to justify such precise statements.
"I am unmoved by this information, and I would say that no matter how our helmet ranked, said Xeniths Executive Director, Vin Ferrara, the X 1 model was ranked among the most protective measures available."We find this type of hierarchy concept be harmful to consumers ' understanding and detrimental to the development of superior helmets. "
Schutt said in a statement: "we have not seen any relationship between test results and exactly predict what happens on the field. There are many questions to be asked about this test.
Adamss Executive Director, David Wright, did not respond to requests for comment about the company's A2000 helmet.
Riddels Dan Arment praised Virginia Tech for confirming the performance differences between helmet models. as for the company's low-performing VSR-4 he said users can trade with that helmet and get $ 50 off a Revolution model.
Helmet company has this year gone amongst themselves not to disclose this type of test data to the public because of how it can be misinterpreted. This has led to false advertising claims and other methods currently under review in the Government.
The Duma said the public needed an independent Compass make more educated decisions about football head protection. He also stressed how even the best head protection can still allow damage to concussions and individual athletes risks may vary due to earlier damage and genetic differences.
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