Lisa Schulte
BIOMECHANICS OF SPORTS
RELATED CONCUSSIONS
Introduction
 Participation in sporting events account for
roughly 1.6 to 3.8 million brain injuries annually.
 A concussion results from a rotational
acceleration or deceleration injury to the head.
Terms
 Force- (N)the action of one body on another
which will cause acceleration of the 2nd body
unless acted on by an equal/ opposite action
 Deformation- change in the shape of the body
undergoing the force
 Injury- the result of the force
 Focal/ Diffuse
Factors Affecting Force
Analysis
 Type of Load
 direct, indirect
 Types of Force
 Translational (linear), Rotational, Angular
 Direction of Force
 Magnitude of Force
 Duration of Force
 Shorter duration=less damage
 Rate of Force
 Region of the Brain
Head Impact Telemetry System
HITS is a wireless monitoring system
used to identify hits capable of
producing an injury.
Helmets equipped with HITS look
and function the same as other
helmets
Accurately identifies the location to ± .41 cm
Impacts 15 g or greater are recorded
Applying Newton’s Laws
 Formula for calculating acceleration
 a=(V² – Vo²)/2sg
 Example:
 A=(-3.658 m/s)²/ (2)(0.152m)(9.8 m/s²)=4.49 g
 Formula for Newton Second Law of Motion
 F=mass x acceleration
Protecting the Athlete
 Helmets
 Pressure= Force/Area
 Mouth Guards
 The cushioning effects of a mouth guard increase
time and distance of deceleration
Recent Developments
 Return to Play
 Long Term Effects of Concussions
 NFL and NCAA rule changes
 Concerns with Young Athletes