Brain Injury stories feature prominently in the news on a daily basis.
A really interesting article that was recently published, entitled “Woodpeckers could hold the key to head injury prevention” examines how woodpeckers may hold the answers to minimizing head injuries. This sounds pretty unbelievable, but by studying the anatomy of woodpeckers and behavioural features, researchers can determine how to design better helmets to prevent sports related head injuries.
Woodpeckers are able to peck at a tree trunk, at high speed, resulting in intense deceleration force on impact, without sustaining a brain injury. Researchers in Hong Kong and Beijing are undertaking this study. They found that cranial bones and the structure of the beak, particularly the “spongy” area are what protects the brain from sustaining injury. The researchers conclude that the shock absorption system is not based on a single factor, but is a result of the combined effect of a number of different morphological features.
This research could be applied to developing new safety gear.
One only has to remember the devastating number of sports related accidents and head injuries that take place annually to appreciate how this type of research could be helpful.
A recent article on USNews.com, entitled “Children with head injuries can face a lifetime of problems” discusses a new study whose results determined that children who suffered head trauma from falls, car accidents or other mishaps face prolonged difficulties. If you recall our series of blog posts related to brain injuries, you will remember how many effects a brain injury has.
Researchers found that severe brain trauma affected a child’s daily quality of life. Children with significant problems that last more than two years are unlikely to see significant changes in their condition. The article discusses the importance and need for adequate prevention. In the United States, 30 states have implemented protocol to removed suspected concussed players from games and have them properly assessed. Recently, the NFL has implemented such rules as well.
Currently, the NFL is under scrutiny and is involved in litigation for how it handles head injuries. The NFL is going through a “concussion saga”: more than 125 former pro-football players are suing the National Football League, stating the NFL should have done more to help prevent head injuries and educate players. The lawsuit focuses on concussions, brain injuries and the duty of the NFL to inform players of associated risks of prolonged exposure to trauma to the head.
Aaron Waxman and Associates is a Toronto Personal Injury Law Firm specializing in serious personal injury matters. Aaron Waxman’s team of lawyers handles brain injury cases and catastrophic cases.
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