An Analysis of Catcher's Mask Performance to Attenuate Head Accelerations

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Biomedical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Shain, Kellen Saul

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Madigan, Michael L.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Goforth, Michael W.
• Duma, Stefan M.

• catcher's mask
• head acceleration
• baseball impacts
• concussions

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-04262010-081912

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/42291