Surrogate thigh model for assessing impact force attenuation of protective pads

SummaryA thigh contusion is a common sports related injury that can result in disability and time away from activity. Thigh pads can be worn to help reduce injury occurrence and severity. To evaluate the relative effectiveness of protective guards a thigh model is required. This study utilised data generated from impacts on human volunteers and cadaver material to select a surrogate soft tissue component for a thigh model. This component was attached to a stainless steel beam that represented the femur. The model was instrumented with an internal transducer to measure local peak force. This parameter provided a measure of the impact force attenuation of protective equipment. Initial tests were conducted on cricket thigh pads. The thigh model can be used to assess the relative effectiveness of thigh guards and has the potential to determine whether the ideally sought lightweight low bulk pads offer similar protection as other bulkier pads.