Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41366575›Full record

ArticleAnnals of biomedical engineering2026

Development of a Fall-Specific Impact Testing Method to Evaluate Safety Helmet Performance and Injury Risk.

Susanna M Gagliardi, Nicole E-P Stark, Mark T Begonia, Michael L Madigan, Steven Rowson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of biomedical engineering, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Susanna M GagliardiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 325 Stanger St., Kelly Hall 120, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Nicole E-P StarkDepartment of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 325 Stanger St., Kelly Hall 120, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Mark T BegoniaInstitute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Michael L MadiganDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Steven RowsonDepartment of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 325 Stanger St., Kelly Hall 120, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA. srowson@vt.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3227-0596

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDespite falls accounting for the greatest number of fatal and non-fatal work-related traumatic brain injuries, current standards do not evaluate safety helmets under impact conditions representative of fall scenarios. This study's objective was to develop a test method that evaluates safety helmets under impact scenarios representative of falls. A Construction STAR rating system that quantitatively compares safety helmet performance in the context of concussion and skull fracture risk is also outlined.

methodsA multi-step approach that combined information from previous literature, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) accident reports, and oblique impact tests were used to develop a fall-specific safety helmet test methodology. The test methodology consisting of three impact locations (front boss, rear boss, and rear), two impact velocities (5.5 and 6.8 m/s), and a 25-degree anvil was executed on a representative subset of one Type I and four Type II models. STAR scores, combining concussion and skull fracture risk, were calculated for each model and compared.

resultsSTAR scores demonstrated that Type II helmets reduced concussion risk by 32.7% and skull fracture risk by 57.5% when compared to the Type I model. Large variations in Type II performance were observed, with the top-performing Type II helmets reducing concussion risk by 28.7 and 33.2% compared to bottom-performing models.

conclusionsType II helmets offer substantial benefits in head protection compared to Type I models for oblique fall-related impacts. By including both skull fracture and concussion risk in the STAR score, the proposed methodology can differentiate high and low-performing safety helmets.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsBrain ConcussionHead Protective DevicesSkull FracturesHumansConcussionConstructionFallsHard hatHead accelerationObliqueRiskRotationalSkull fracture

Identifiers

PMID41366575
PMCPMC12960398

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.