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A comparison of artificial turf.
Rosanne Naunheim1, Heather Parrott, John Standeven
1Departments of Emergency Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. naunheir@msnotes.wustl.edu
The Journal of Trauma
|December 31, 2004
Summary
New shredded rubber artificial turf does not improve impact attenuation compared to older foam fields. Some areas of the new turf were significantly more compacted and harder, potentially increasing injury risk.
Area of Science:
- Sports Engineering
- Biomechanics
- Materials Science
Background:
- New artificial turf formulations aim to reduce athletic injuries.
- Shredded rubber-based turf is a recent innovation marketed for improved safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if a new shredded rubber artificial turf enhances impact attenuation.
- To compare the impact absorption of new rubber turf against existing surfaces.
Main Methods:
- An instrumented computerized impact recording device was utilized.
- The device was dropped 20 times from a 48-inch height onto five different turf types.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in impact attenuation was found between the new rubber-based field and the older foam field.
- Significant variations in hardness were observed across different sites on the shredded rubber-based field.
Conclusions:
- Replacing foam-based turf with shredded rubber-based turf did not improve overall impact attenuation.
- Compaction in certain areas of the rubber-based field resulted in harder surfaces compared to the foam-based system.