Foul tip impact attenuation of baseball catcher masks using head impact metrics

Currently, no scientific consensus exists on the relative safety of catcher mask styles and materials. Due to differences in mass and material properties, the style and material of a catcher mask influences the impact metrics observed during simulated foul ball impacts. The catcher surrogate was a Hybrid III head and neck equipped with a six degree of freedom sensor package to obtain linear accelerations and angular rates. Four mask styles were impacted using an air cannon for six 30 m/s and six 35 m/s impacts to the nasion. To quantify impact severity, the metrics peak linear acceleration, peak angular acceleration, Head Injury Criterion, Head Impact Power, and Gadd Severity Index were used. An Analysis of Covariance and a Tukey's HSD Test were conducted to compare the least squares mean between masks for each head injury metric. For each injury metric a P-Value less than 0.05 was found indicating a significant difference in mask performance. Tukey's HSD test found for each metric, the traditional style titanium mask fell in the lowest performance category while the hockey style mask was in the highest performance category. Limitations of this study prevented a direct correlation from mask testing performance to mild traumatic brain injury. Data are arranged according to mask type, and files are available in both .COL and .txt format.目前，学界尚未就捕手面罩的款式与材质的相对安全性达成科学共识。由于质量与材料属性存在差异，捕手面罩的款式与材质会对模拟界外球撞击过程中测得的撞击指标产生影响。本次试验采用的撞击替身为Hybrid III头颈部假人，搭载六自由度（six degree of freedom）传感器组件，用于采集线加速度与角速度数据。研究使用空气炮对4款不同样式的面罩开展撞击试验，共计12次撞击：其中6次撞击速度为30 m/s，6次为35 m/s，撞击位置均为鼻根点（nasion）。为量化撞击严重程度，本研究选取以下评价指标：峰值线加速度、峰值角加速度、头部损伤准则（Head Injury Criterion）、头部撞击功率（Head Impact Power）以及加德严重度指数（Gadd Severity Index）。本研究开展协方差分析（Analysis of Covariance）与图基诚实显著差异检验（Tukey's HSD Test），以针对每项头部损伤评价指标，对比不同面罩的最小二乘均值。所有损伤评价指标的P值均小于0.05，表明不同面罩的防护性能存在显著差异。图基诚实显著差异检验结果显示，针对各项指标，传统款钛合金面罩的防护性能均处于最低档位，而曲棍球款面罩则处于最高档位。本研究存在一定局限性，无法直接将面罩的试验防护性能与轻度创伤性脑损伤建立关联。数据集按照面罩类型进行分类整理，文件格式包含.COL与.txt两种。