Authors: Grant James Dickey, Jainee Patel, and Sarang Shin—School of Biomedical Engineering, Western University; Kewei Bian and Sakib Ul Islam—Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University; Haojie Mao—School of Biomedical Engineering/Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University; Erin Shore and Kristen Kucera—National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, University of North Carolina
Abstract
Commotio cordis (CC) is a fatal condition seen mostly in sports when a projectile strikes an individual over the heart, resulting in pump failure. A multisport analysis of reconstructed CC real-world cases was conducted to understand the biomechanical response of the heart across 4 different sports projectiles in adults. Left ventricular strain of the heart was analyzed and used as a surrogate for determining CC. The results showed that impact speeds of 90-mph from both baseball and hockey pucks induced strain values upwards of 30% across the left ventricle of the heart. A cricket ball of 60-mph induced similar peak strains to the left ventricle as seen in the 90-mph baseball impacts. This study highlights the complex interplay between impact velocity, projectile type, and resultant cardiac strain, leading to the refinement of safety standards for CC in adults and children.
Pages: 4
Event: 67th Stapp Car Crash Conference
Type: Short Communication