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A Contusive Model of Unilateral Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Using the Infinite Horizon Impactor
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Firefighter helmets and cervical intervertebral Kinematics: An OpenSim-Based biomechanical study.

Gustavo M Paulon1, S Sudeesh2, Leonardo H Wei3

  • 1Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

Journal of Biomechanics
|October 25, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Firefighter helmet design significantly impacts neck movement and spinal kinematics. Helmets with a higher center of mass (COM) restrict motion more, increasing injury risk. Lowering the COM is crucial for neck health.

Keywords:
Cervical Spine KinematicsFirefighter HelmetNeck Range of MotionOpenSim Musculoskeletal Model

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Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Occupational Health
  • Musculoskeletal Modeling

Background:

  • Cervical spine kinematics are vital for understanding degenerative changes from prolonged helmet wear.
  • Firefighter helmets, particularly heavy or imbalanced ones, may negatively affect neck mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze cervical intervertebral kinematics using OpenSim.
  • To investigate the impact of firefighter helmet inertial properties on cervical spinal mobility.

Main Methods:

  • 36 firefighters (18 male, 18 female) performed neck movement tasks (flexion, extension, lateral bending) under three conditions: no helmet, US-style helmet (superior COM), and European-style helmet (inferior COM).
  • Custom OpenSim head-neck models were created to calculate cervical intervertebral kinematics for each condition.

Main Results:

  • Helmet use significantly altered neck and cervical spinal kinematics (p < 0.001).
  • The US-style helmet, despite being lighter, induced greater angular changes and higher peak velocities in flexion/extension compared to the European-style helmet.
  • Discrepancies were noted between OpenSim-derived and previously reported in-vivo range-of-motion data.

Conclusions:

  • Firefighter helmet design, specifically the center of mass (COM) placement, significantly influences cervical kinematics.
  • Designing helmets with a lower profile (less superior COM) is recommended to improve neck range of motion and mitigate injury risk.