While several research groups are developing football equipment and helmets to lessen the damage from physical contact during football games, a concussion-proof helmet is not a realistic goal, said the founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center sports medicine concussion program in a Kansas City Star report.
The National Football League acknowledged that faults in the current helmet design have prompted the organization to implement hefty fines and threaten suspension to decrease the number of dangerous hits. The league's head, neck and spine medical committee will be holding a two-day meeting next month to assess new testing techniques and helmet designs.
Advances in helmet design could include Riddell's increased width, Schutt's new cushioning materials and Xenith's use of air-cell padding instead of traditional foams inside helmets.
Read the Kansas City Star report on football helmets.
Read other coverage on concussions:
- AMA: High School Athletes Need Physician Notes Before Returning to Play After Concussions
- American Academy of Neurosurgery: 5 Recommendations on Sports Concussions
- 10 Stories for Team Physicians About Concussion Awareness
The National Football League acknowledged that faults in the current helmet design have prompted the organization to implement hefty fines and threaten suspension to decrease the number of dangerous hits. The league's head, neck and spine medical committee will be holding a two-day meeting next month to assess new testing techniques and helmet designs.
Advances in helmet design could include Riddell's increased width, Schutt's new cushioning materials and Xenith's use of air-cell padding instead of traditional foams inside helmets.
Read the Kansas City Star report on football helmets.
Read other coverage on concussions:
- AMA: High School Athletes Need Physician Notes Before Returning to Play After Concussions
- American Academy of Neurosurgery: 5 Recommendations on Sports Concussions
- 10 Stories for Team Physicians About Concussion Awareness