Virginia Tech Helmet Study

Early in my hiatus, (meaning late May) a Virginia Tech study was released that rated the various helmets on their efficacy at preventing TBIs.  The response to this study was not surprising, especially from the manufacturers.  The newest Riddell Helmets and a lot of the Schutt models raked highly on the list.  Meanwhile, the older Riddell VSR4 was amongst the worst rated.  Ridell almost immediately recommended that the VSR4 helmet be taken out of use and that they be replaced with the newer models. How noble of Riddell considering this means replacing helmets with new ones.  I certainly support Riddell's decision to push for new helmets, but it doesn't exactly hurt Riddell either.  It looks even better when you consider the very large numbers of VSR4 helmets that are still in use.

The Adams helmets were ranked very low on the scale designed by the researchers.  Since Adams did not have any helmets that really scored well, they decided to attack the methodology of the research and defend their current products.  Once again, this should surprise nobody.

The issue that I have with this whole thing is that helmets were NEVER designed to prevent TBIs.  They were designed to prevent skull fractures.  TBIs occur when the brain slams against the inside of the skull.  Since the brain is suspended in cerebral spinal fluid, no helmet is going to prevent the brain from moving when the head is violently shaken.  The best way I have heard this described is an analogy of a padded raw egg.  It doesn't matter how much padding you put on the egg to prevent the shell from cracking, if you shake the egg hard enough, you will scramble the yolk inside.

While I applaud the manufacturers for their efforts in creating a better helmet, the manufacturers really need to quit telling everybody that their helmet will prevent TBIs.  They won't.  They may be able to decrease the severity or the frequency a little, but until we can figure out how to slow the decelerational forces during collisions, I don't see helmets changing the rate of TBIs very much.

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