Publications (2)5.17 Total impact
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Article: Estimation of effective mass of longish rigid instruments in head impacts.
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ABSTRACT: Impacts to the head are a common form of body violence and thus a relevant legal medical issue. Biomechanical assessment of injury potential has been traditionally based on qualitative analysis and experience. The aim of this study was to collect benchmark data that would facilitate the assessment of the maximum force in head impacts with longish rigid instruments. Series of measurements were performed with a specially designed modifiable impactor, and the relationship between its inertial properties and its effective mass during the impact was studied. The effective mass was defined as the amount of point mass that would, if exposed to the same velocity change as the striking end of the instrument, produce the same area under the force-time curve as the impactor. The results show that the effective mass decreases from approximately 100% of the total body mass for very short impactors to about 50% for longer (approximately 70 cm) impactors. No influence of the hand/grip force on the effective mass of the impactor was found if it was used in a hammer-like manner; other striking techniques can lead to substantial increase of the effective mass attributable to the hand/grip force.Deutsche Zeitschrift für die Gesamte Gerichtliche Medizin 11/2011; 125(6):763-71. · 2.59 Impact Factor -
Article: Biomechanics and injury risk of a headbutt.
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ABSTRACT: Headbutt is a relevant type of a criminal assault that can result in injuries. The aim of this study was to collect basic biomechanical data and assess the injury risk associated with a headbutt. Series of measurements were carried out with volunteers with and without relevant soccer heading experience, and the impact velocity of the striking head was measured. A soccer ball was used as a surrogate of the stationary victim's head. Two scenarios were considered: one corresponding to the typical headbutt situation, i.e. short movement of the assailant's head without backswing, and one representing the worst case, i.e. the most severe head impact without time or space constraints for the assailant. The results as well as epidemiological data from court cases and a large Munich's university clinic show that a typical headbutt is not likely to lead to life-threatening injuries, but bony injuries of the face can easily occur. Under certain circumstances (support of the victim's head, secondary impact on the ground etc.), severe injuries with potentially lethal outcomes are possible. A thorough analysis of each case is thus an imperative. The (soccer) heading experience does not influence the velocity of the headbutt.Deutsche Zeitschrift für die Gesamte Gerichtliche Medizin 09/2011; · 2.59 Impact Factor
