Abstract

An in vivo head impact dosimeter, termed the ‘intelligent mouthguard’, is under development at the Cleveland Clinic. The intelligent mouthguard facilitates correlation of acute and accumulative impact dosage with injury risk. As part of intelligent mouthguard dosimetry development for boxing and mixed martial arts participants, head and neck impact dosage was quantified in the laboratory for seven (7) punch types. Impact dosage data for punches were collected, which generated unique ‘fingerprints’ for use with the intelligent mouthguard computational algorithm. Additional calculations were made on parameters based on each punch ‘fingerprint’ and injury risk. Each of the punches had a unique ‘fingerprint’. The hook imparted the most severe impact dosage, with the cross and oblique hook inducing the next most severe impact dosages, respectively. The impact dosage ‘fingerprints’ determined here will be used to identify punch types during intelligent mouthguard human trials in 2012. Intelligent mouthguard dosimetry will be available soon for other contact sports (American Football, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse) to monitor head–neck impact dosage for correlation to acute or accumulative injury risk. Verf.-Referat