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Biomechanical injury risk analysis of a child dummy under cricket ball impacts: A finite element study
1Anand Niketan International School, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Insights
Cricket ball impacts pose injury risks to children. This study reveals critical pediatric biomechanical vulnerabilities in head, neck, and chest, informing protective gear design for safer play.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Pediatric Injury Prevention
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Cricket-related injuries in children are understudied, with limited data on pediatric biomechanics.
- Existing research often relies on adult data or unverified assumptions.
- Lack of specific models for pediatric cricket ball impacts hinders injury risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pediatric biomechanics during cricket ball impacts.
- To quantify injury indicators across different anatomical regions and impact velocities.
- To identify vulnerabilities and inform protective equipment development for young cricket players.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a finite element model simulating a child dummy, cricket ball, and impact scenarios.
- Simulated impacts at 5, 10, and 15 m/s on anterior precordial, subnasal, right temporal, and cranial vertex regions.
- Computed injury criteria (e.g., AIS, HIC, Neck Injury Criteria) and Von Mises stresses.
Main Results:
- Thoracic compression exceeded AIS 4 criteria at 15 m/s (49.59 mm).
- Head Injury Criteria (HIC) at 10 m/s suggested mild concussions, with high peak head acceleration (135.82 g) indicating significant brain injury risk.
- Subnasal impacts at 10 m/s showed cervical ligament tension (N_ij = 0.72).
- Increased impact velocity correlated with higher stress concentrations at impact sites.
Conclusions:
- This study provides crucial quantitative data on pediatric cricket impact biomechanics.
- Identified specific anatomical vulnerabilities in children during cricket play.
- Findings can guide the design of enhanced protective gear and promote safer playing environments for young athletes.
Abstract:
Children, while playing cricket, may get exposed to impact-related injuries. Most available studies have been done on adult players. Pediatric biomechanics concerning cricket ball impacts have been unexamined, supported by assumptions and surrogate models. This research used a finite element model of a child dummy, a ball, and a steel chair. Four conditions based on anatomical regions: (A) Anterior precordial, (B) Subnasal, (C) Right temporal, and (D) Cranial vertex impact were simulated by impacting a cricket ball at 5, 10, or 15 m/s. Injury indicators (Cervical Spine Injury Criterion, Thoracic Compression Criteria, neck loads and bending moments, Neck Injury Criteria, head displacement, velocity and acceleration, and head injury criteria) were computed for each simulation. Von Mises stresses were computed on the skin. Computed values of indicators were compared with standard data to predict injury levels (AIS values) at different head, neck, and chest. At 15 m/s, thoracic compression attained 49.59 mm, exceeding the AIS 4 criteria for severe damage. The HIC15 value of 297.7 at 10 m/s implies mild concussions; however, the peak head acceleration of 135.82 g signifies a considerable danger of brain injury. Subnasal impacts at 10 m/s exhibited Nij = 0.72, indicating cervical ligament tension. Research indicates elevated stress concentrations at impact locations with increased impact velocity. This study provides a comprehensive quantitative data into pediatric impact biomechanics during cricket play. This study identifies key anatomical vulnerabilities that can inform the design of improved protective gear and support the development of safer play conditions for young athletes.
