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Fri July 6, 2007

Sooners use special helmet that alerts to possible injury

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The Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) is worn by almost every player on the Sooners' two-deep roster. PHOTO PROVIDED BY RIDDELL
Local use of the technology
Oklahoma is home to two of the 15 schools implementing the HITS technology — OU and Casady High.

In 2005, the Sooners and Cyclones began a research study on head impacts in football. Orthopedic surgeon and OU resident Brock Schnebel led the study, which compares the frequency and magnitude of impacts between NCAA Div. I and high school football players.

Forty members of OU's 105-man roster and 16 members of Casady's 53-man roster were outfitted with HITS-equipped helmets.

A total of 54,154 impacts were recorded at OU and 8,326 at Casady. Schnebel's team found college players sustain high-level impacts greater than 98G more frequently than high school players. Skill position players sustained impacts greater than 98G once in every 70 impacts, while linemen sustain high-level only once in every 125 hits.

By Blake Jackson

Editor's note: Sports intern Brian Sandalow had a few concussions in his day. Here he explains what it's like.

I had three concussions before I was 14 years old. And I don't know whether they are related, but I've had too many migraines since.

Each concussion was different. An opponent who was at least 20 pounds over the league weight limit caused one by repeatedly knocking into my head. Another was caused by a teammate, a pulling guard who knocked me so hard I saw snot on my facemask when I got up. The third came when I ran into a teammate who wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Except for the first concussion, I kept playing. No coaches noticed.

The migraines, unfortunately, are all the same. They start with a partial loss of sight, causing disconcerting blind spots. Then, comes the pain. The terrible pain, which I can feel in every part of my head, including my teeth.

Finally, the nausea comes. Usually I don't vomit, but I often feel like I just got off a fast and intense roller coaster.

Notable concussions

Troy Aikman
Aikman suffered at least 10 concussions during his career with the Dallas Cowboys.

The last one, caused by a vicious hit from then-Redskins linebacker Lavar Arrington in December of 2000, effectively ended Aikman's career. Dallas released Aikman that offseason but the former Super Bowl MVP couldn't find another team.

Trent Green
One of the most enduring images from the 2006 NFL season is an unconscious Green lying on the Arrowhead Stadium turf after getting hit by Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Green, who was injured in Week 1, missed the Chiefs' next eight games and was unable to match his previous statistics when he returned. He was traded to Miami this offseason.

Bobby Reid
The OSU quarterback suffered what was announced as a "mild” concussion against Kansas State last season.

Reid got hurt in the first half and did not return after halftime. Reid returned for OSU's next game, a 41-29 win over Nebraska, and threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

Merril Hoge
The former Pittsburgh and Chicago fullback played seven seasons in the NFL.

In 1994, Hoge suffered two concussions and retired. In an article published by the San Jose Mercury News, Hoge said he had to relearn how to read and still suffers headaches he blames on the concussions.

By Brian Sandalow

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By Blake Jackson
Staff Writer
Any given Saturday, it could happen.

Malcolm Kelly streaks across the middle, jumps for a sailing pass and pays for it. Allen Patrick bursts through the line only to be met square and head-long by an opposing linebacker running just as fast in the opposite direction. Trent Williams, fighting to protect the quarterback, takes an elbow hard upside his helmet.


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The player sees stars.

For a moment, he feels numb.

Thus marks the onset of a concussion, one of sport's most misunderstood — and most serious — injuries and the subject of a 2006 University of Oklahoma study.

Sometimes, the concussed player is knocked out momentarily. In that case, the athlete is immediately removed from the field and examined by medical experts on the sidelines.

But sometimes, the concussed player never goes down. Sometimes, he bounces back to his feet after a second or two.

Sports broadcasters call it being "shaken up.”

Sometimes "shaken up” can be a killer.

‘An epidemic state'
Exploring concussions and their long-term effects is a relatively new field.

OU head trainer Scott Anderson reports the number of scientific articles published on concussions has grown from between five and 10 in the 1960's to more than 150 in this decade.

"What you're seeing now is a great effort to catch up,” Anderson said. "For as serious as the injury is, concussions have really been understudied. Football has changed. Guys used to wear leather strips on their heads, but as equipment has gotten bigger and better, hits have become harder and harder.

"We've reached an almost epidemic state.”

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, football is responsible for approximately 250,000 head injuries per year.

In May, the American College of Sports Medicine published a study of more than 2,500 retired NFL players. The study found that those who had suffered at least three concussions during their careers tripled their risk of clinical depression over those without concussion.

Depression. Brain damage. Suicide.

The legacy — and the future — of America's favorite game has been thrust into a harsh spotlight.

Even high schools are looking for ways to deal with the growing stigma surrounding the issue.

"With higher-profile athletes suffering these injuries, everyone's aware of it,” said Jared Hofer, head trainer at Casady High. "The likelihood of someone suffering multiple concussions isn't great, but a kid's life is more important than winning a state championship.”

The mind-reading helmet
At first glance, it looked like a typical, run-of-the-mill helmet.

Face mask. Ear holes. Hard-plastic shell.

But as Anderson and members of the NCAA sports science committee watched Rick Greenwald's demonstration at the NFL combine two years ago, it became clear to the OU trainer he was getting a glimpse into the future.

"The system does not diagnose head injuries,” Greenwald said. "But it does provide an important tool for clinicians on the field. It could prevent further injury caused by repeated head trauma.”

Greenwald's helmet is equipped with tiny airbags, scattered in between the foam padding. Each airbag serves as a sensor, the sensors are connected to a transmitter.

At impact, the airbags process their signal through a complex algorithm devised by Greenwald. If the impact registers greater than 98G — units of gravity or G-force — the signal is transmitted wirelessly to a remote computer and medical staff receive an electronic page.

All in a matter of seconds.

"I was immediately intrigued from a head injury standpoint and a heat-related injury standpoint,” Anderson said. The helmet is also outfitted with a tiny thermostat to measure head temperature. "We quickly got on board.”

At first, OU partnered with Greenwald's New Hampshire-based Simbex company on what Anderson called a "base level.” The system is expensive — Anderson estimated a 40-helmet set at more than $60,000 — and is only available in Riddell Brand helmets.

But a year later, almost every player on the Sooners' two-deep was equipped with HITS — Head Impact Telemetry System.

So when Malcolm Kelly jumps for a pass, or Allen Patrick bursts through the line or Trent Williams fights to protect the pocket, the Sooner sideline can monitor in real-time the potential for serious head injury.

There is a rub, however.

Instances of concussion are erratic. Some players experience concussion at impacts as low as 40G. Others experience concussion at impact thresholds greater than 98.

"Just because we don't receive a page on the sideline doesn't mean head injury hasn't happened on the field,” Anderson said. "We still have to be vigilant of the things we've always watched out for during games.”

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