Focused Clinical Question: Do soft-shell helmet covers reduce head impact severity in American football helmets? Clinical Bottom Line: There is consistent SORT level C evidence to support that soft-shell helmet covers reduce measures of head impact severity and measures of linear and rotational acceleration. The impact reductions occurred at magnitudes less than the average reported concussive impact, which limits the application of the evidence with respect to concussion incidence or risk among American football players.
American Football Soft-Shell Helmet Covers Reduce Head Impact Severity: A Critically Appraised Topic
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Kayla O’Connell
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Kayla O’Connell
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Christopher Brown
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1405-0001
Christopher Brown
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Patricia M. Tripp
Patricia M. Tripp
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Brown https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1405-0001
O’Connell (kayladoconnell@gmail.com) is corresponding author.
Soft-shell helmet covers reduce measures of head impact severity in laboratory experiments compared with standard American football helmets alone.
Further research utilizing human subject study designs is necessary to examine the effectiveness of soft-shell helmet covers during American football play.
Developing soft-shell helmet covers to minimize head impact exposures may need a team approach between equipment manufacturers, clinicians, and American football oversight organizations.
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