UK Karting - Notice Board (General Karting) : Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt)

Notice Board (General Karting)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt)
Posted by 'PennilessFather' on 29 Jan 2013 @ 01:21

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PennilessFatherJoined: July 2012
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If you look on their main website, there is a link to a paper that they published regarding the testing that they have done on the motorcycling neck brace. The paper is very detailed regarding the testing that they have done as well as discussing the anatomical considerations and the basis for their modelling.

The paper itself freely admits that at present the physical testing and modelling that they use is limited and is geared more towards injury sustained in motorcycling accidents with the 'lawn dart' type mechanism being studied in detail. This is because they presumably had film of the particular accident in question and were able to reconstruct the accident accurately.

Most of the data that they use regarding anatomical structural properties is obtained from cadavers and so does not 100% reflect real world conditions. Furthermore, the dummy that they use is a 50 centile male dummy (reflecting 'Mr Average weight / height etc) that was developed for car crash testing. How this reflects the injury patterns that would be seen in children/younger/different sized people has yet to be evaluated. Helmet weight also plays a significant part in the injury mechanism when it comes to intracranial brain injury resulting from rapid deceleration when a restraint is used. Much as whiplash type soft tissue injuries are magnified by using seatbelt restraints - although they do protect from ejection injuries etc. It is very much a matter of which is the 'lesser evil'.

As discussed before, the HANS device relies upon the driver being securely belted into the vehicle with over the shoulder belts to hold it in position. This is supplemented by restraining straps to limit forward flexion of the neck and the car body acting as a 'head rest' to limit extension. The biggest problem that I can see with any karting brace is that it is extremely difficult to secure any device to the upper body to stop movement of the device itself in an impact without restricting the wearers mobility. This is presumably why they are not specifically developing their current motorcycling brace to be used with karting at present. It does make you wonder how they can therefore recommend their karting neck brace if no specific testing has been done and they are just extrapolating their motorcycling data. Injury mechanisms differ significantly between motorcycling and karting.

However, it is good to see that someone is trying to develop a restraint or protection system - although they do of course have an economic interest in doing so !! With the widespread presence of cameras these days, perhaps it will enable better modelling of karting specific injuries. Look how far seat belts and head restraints have developed over the past years since belts became compulsory.

A comparative study between the available karting neck braces or collars and no brace at all would make interesting reading. Whilst any neck brace is not going to eliminate all neck injuries (as helmets do not eliminate all head injuries for various reasons), a decent study would indicate as to whether there is any decrease or increase in the prevalence of significant injury if a brace is worn or not.

Whilst some accidents are just that - accidents - the quickest and cheapest method of reducing injury rates might be to enforce improved driving standards (as the MSA seem to be attempting to do at present) and not treat karting as high speed dodgem cars...... or is that for a different discussion?? :)

Message Thread:

Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'nichop' (28 Jan 2013 @ 16:42)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'Graham S' (28 Jan 2013 @ 16:55)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'brinjono' (28 Jan 2013 @ 18:43)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'nichop' (28 Jan 2013 @ 21:02)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'PennilessFather' << You are here!

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'orton1966' (29 Jan 2013 @ 19:12)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'brierleys' (30 Jan 2013 @ 13:53)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'itpro' (30 Jan 2013 @ 14:41)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'nichop' (30 Jan 2013 @ 16:54)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'itpro' (30 Jan 2013 @ 17:37)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'nichop' (30 Jan 2013 @ 17:40)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'RoadRat' (30 Jan 2013 @ 19:18)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'itpro' (30 Jan 2013 @ 19:38)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'TiredDad' (30 Jan 2013 @ 20:27)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'orton1966' (30 Jan 2013 @ 21:06)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'itpro' (30 Jan 2013 @ 21:36)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'brierleys' (31 Jan 2013 @ 12:56)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'RoadRat' (31 Jan 2013 @ 18:58)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'jamydonut' (04 Mar 2013 @ 19:14)

Re: Neck Braces (MSA and Leatt) by 'nichop' (04 Mar 2013 @ 23:50)

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