Modeling Handball-Induced Head Injuries: Developing a Model of a Handball for Evaluating Concussion Risk and the Effectiveness of Protective Gear for Handball Players
Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Concussions are a major problem in many sports, and handball is no exception.
While some efforts have been made to reduce the prevalence of concussions, the
risks remain high, with several cases of players ending their careers in their early
twenties due to repeated concussions. Despite this, players are not allowed any form
of head gear or other protection by the International Handball Federation rule set.
This thesis developed an explicit Finite Element handball model for LS Dyna based
on coupon material test data and dynamic impact test data. The risk of concussion
for a handball player was then estimated by modeling ball-to-head contacts using the
new ball model and a state-of-the-art Human Body Model (HBM), the VIVA+, and
the Injury Risk Function (IRF) DAMAGE. The use of HBM and IRF in quantifying
concussion risks is a well-established methodology, particularly in the automotive
industry.
The standing average male VIVA+ model was used, modified to contain only head
and neck, constrained at the lower neck. Four impact scenarios at 110km/h were
simulated, where results were used to quantify mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)
risk for each scenario. Two of these impact scenarios were tested under varying
coefficients of friction between ball and head, with and without a foam sliding layer,
representing an abstraction of head protective gear. The risk of mTBI was estimated
to 10 - 35% without headgear. With headgear, the results indicate that a substantial
reduction of up to 25% for head-on impacts and 50% for lateral impacts in mTBI
risk can be achieved with the appropriate headgear design.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Brain concussion, mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), Biomechanics, Handball, Sports related injury, Human Body Bodel (HBM), Injury Risk Function (IRF), Finite Element Modeling, LS-DYNA