Use of the air-inflated jacket in football.

Injuries to the rib cage are common in football, but little has been done to protect this area. This paper discusses the effectiveness and usefulness of a protective jacket in football. The jacket is highly durable, constructed of urethane-coated nylon, and heat-sealed to take on the shape of several cylinders interconnected by fabric valves which constrict in response to a sudden blow. Its exterior is covered by a 1/8-inch thick Lexan (General Electric, Toledo, OH) shield. The jacket weighs 6.5 oz. It showed impressive results when tested. Testing was done by forcefully swinging a baseball bat against the rib cage protected by the jacket. By digitization of high speed movie filming at 500 frames/second, we were able to determine the speed, velocity, and area of contact. The amount of force deflection was calculated to be 587.6 psi. To inflict this force, a player would have to be traveling 60 miles/hour and strike his opponent with the heel. This lightweight, air-inflated, padded jacket has protected and prevented rib cage injuries in professional athletes. It is accepted well by players. This suggests that similar protective equipment for other areas would be useful and represents an advancement in preventing injury.