Effects of Head-supported Mass on Risk of Neck Injury

hroughout the evolution of military helmet systems, the amount of head-supported mass (HSM) worn by Army personnel has steadily increased. The U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory is working to establish recommended limits and guidelines for HSM that can be worn safely by soldiers. To support this effort, crash sled tests were conducted at APL’s Impact Biomechanics Facility. These tests, simulating a typical frontal crash environment experienced by soldiers in both ground vehicles and rotary wing aircraft, were used to evaluate the effects of HSM on anthropomorphic test devices. A two-phase experimental design was used to evaluate the infl uence of independent HSM factors on occupant response. Injury measures, including neck forces and moments, were used to assess potential occupant injury. Test results provided statistically signifi cant correlations between the independent factors and predicted injury, suggesting that future helmet design will be controlled by the selected injury measures.