Assessment of Brain Injury Biomechanics in Soccer Heading Using Finite Element Analysis

Perkins, A., Bakhtiarydavijani, A., Ivanoff, A. E., Jones, M., Hammi, Y., & Prabhu, R. (2022). Assessment of Brain Injury Biomechanics in Soccer Heading Using Finite Element Analysis. Brain Multiphysics. 3, 100052.

This study presents an in silico finite element (FE) model-based biomechanical analysis of brain injury metrics and associated risks of a soccer ball impact to the head for aware and unaware athletes, considering ball impact velocity and direction. The analysis presented herein implements a validated soccer ball and 50th percentile human head computational FE model for quantifying traumatic brain injury (TBI) metrics. The brain's mechanical properties are designated using a viscoelastic-viscoplastic constitutive material model for the white and gray matter within the human head FE model. FE results show a dynamic human head-soccer ball peak contact area of approximately seven times greater than those documented for helmet-to-helmet hits in American Football. Due to the deformable nature of the soccer ball, the impact dynamics are unique depending on the location and velocity of impact. TBI injury risks …