{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/42291"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/42291","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"An Analysis of Catcher's Mask Performance to Attenuate Head Accelerations","abstract":"The goals of this study were to measure the ability of catcher's masks to attenuate head accelerations upon impact with a baseball, and to compare these head accelerations to established injury thresholds for concussions. Testing involved using a pneumatic cannon to shoot baseballs at an instrumented (3-2-2-2 accelerometer array) Hybrid III headform (a 50th percentile male head and neck) with and without a catcher's mask on the head. The ball speed was controlled from approximately 26.8 – 35.8 m/s (60 – 80 mph) and regulation NCAA baseballs were used. Peak linear resultant acceleration was 140 – 180 g without a mask and 16 – 30 g with a mask over the range of balls speeds investigated. Peak angular resultant acceleration was 19500 – 25700 rad/sec2 without a mask and 2250 – 3230 rad/sec2 with a mask. The Head Injury Criterion was 93 – 181 without a mask and 3 – 13 with a mask and the Severity index was 110 – 210 without a mask and 3 – 15 with a mask. Catcher's masks reduced head acceleration metrics by approximately 85% when baseballs were impacted with just the headform. Head accelerations with a catcher's mask were substantially lower than contemporary injury thresholds, yet evidence indicates that baseball impacts to the mask still result in concussions.","abstract_html":"The goals of this study were to measure the ability of catcher's masks to attenuate head accelerations upon impact with a baseball, and to compare these head accelerations to established injury thresholds for concussions. Testing involved using a pneumatic cannon to shoot baseballs at an instrumented (3-2-2-2 accelerometer array) Hybrid III headform (a 50th percentile male head and neck) with and without a catcher's mask on the head. The ball speed was controlled from approximately 26.8 – 35.8 m/s (60 – 80 mph) and regulation NCAA baseballs were used. Peak linear resultant acceleration was 140 – 180 g without a mask and 16 – 30 g with a mask over the range of balls speeds investigated. Peak angular resultant acceleration was 19500 – 25700 rad/sec2 without a mask and 2250 – 3230 rad/sec2 with a mask. The Head Injury Criterion was 93 – 181 without a mask and 3 – 13 with a mask and the Severity index was 110 – 210 without a mask and 3 – 15 with a mask. Catcher's masks reduced head acceleration metrics by approximately 85% when baseballs were impacted with just the headform. Head accelerations with a catcher's mask were substantially lower than contemporary injury thresholds, yet evidence indicates that baseball impacts to the mask still result in concussions.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shain, Kellen Saul"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Biomedical Engineering","degree_department":"Biomedical Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Madigan, Michael L."],"committee_members":["Goforth, Michael W.","Duma, Stefan M."],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-04-21","date_published":"2010-04-21","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:53Z","subjects":["catcher's mask","head acceleration","baseball impacts","concussions"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-04262010-081912"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-04262010-081912","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/42291","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Madigan, Michael L."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Goforth, Michael W.","Duma, Stefan M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Biomedical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Shain, Kellen Saul"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:34:53Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:34:53Z","2010-05-07"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010-04-21"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biomedical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["catcher's mask","head acceleration","baseball impacts","concussions"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-04262010-081912"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/42291"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The goals of this study were to measure the ability of catcher's masks to attenuate head accelerations upon impact with a baseball, and to compare these head accelerations to established injury thresholds for concussions. Testing involved using a pneumatic cannon to shoot baseballs at an instrumented (3-2-2-2 accelerometer array) Hybrid III headform (a 50th percentile male head and neck) with and without a catcher's mask on the head. The ball speed was controlled from approximately 26.8 – 35.8 m/s (60 – 80 mph) and regulation NCAA baseballs were used. Peak linear resultant acceleration was 140 – 180 g without a mask and 16 – 30 g with a mask over the range of balls speeds investigated. Peak angular resultant acceleration was 19500 – 25700 rad/sec2 without a mask and 2250 – 3230 rad/sec2 with a mask. The Head Injury Criterion was 93 – 181 without a mask and 3 – 13 with a mask and the Severity index was 110 – 210 without a mask and 3 – 15 with a mask. Catcher's masks reduced head acceleration metrics by approximately 85% when baseballs were impacted with just the headform. Head accelerations with a catcher's mask were substantially lower than contemporary injury thresholds, yet evidence indicates that baseball impacts to the mask still result in concussions."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Analysis of Catcher's Mask Performance to Attenuate Head Accelerations"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Madigan, Michael L."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Goforth, Michael W.","Duma, Stefan M."],"dc:contributor.department":["Biomedical Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Shain, Kellen Saul"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:34:53Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:34:53Z","2010-05-07"],"dc:date.issued":["2010-04-21"],"dc:description.abstract":["The goals of this study were to measure the ability of catcher's masks to attenuate head accelerations upon impact with a baseball, and to compare these head accelerations to established injury thresholds for concussions. Testing involved using a pneumatic cannon to shoot baseballs at an instrumented (3-2-2-2 accelerometer array) Hybrid III headform (a 50th percentile male head and neck) with and without a catcher's mask on the head. The ball speed was controlled from approximately 26.8 – 35.8 m/s (60 – 80 mph) and regulation NCAA baseballs were used. Peak linear resultant acceleration was 140 – 180 g without a mask and 16 – 30 g with a mask over the range of balls speeds investigated. Peak angular resultant acceleration was 19500 – 25700 rad/sec2 without a mask and 2250 – 3230 rad/sec2 with a mask. The Head Injury Criterion was 93 – 181 without a mask and 3 – 13 with a mask and the Severity index was 110 – 210 without a mask and 3 – 15 with a mask. Catcher's masks reduced head acceleration metrics by approximately 85% when baseballs were impacted with just the headform. 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