Impacts to hockey skates evaluated via a novel surrogate

Abstract

Ice hockey is a popular sport where impact injuries are frequent; however, few standards exist to evaluate the impact protectiveness of equipment other than head and neck gear. Particularly, padding is minimized in skate boots to reduce mass despite most foot and ankle fractures in hockey occurring from direct puck impacts. Therefore, this work aimed to develop a testing protocol to evaluate the impact responses of skates and inform safer boot designs rooted in injury prevention. A novel surrogate was created to fit into skates and quantify bony loading transmitted through boots subjected to puck impacts. The surrogate was modelled based on anatomical measurements and consisted of separate hard tissue (HT) and soft tissue (ST) components fabricated to represent a realistic foot and ankle. A calibration procedure was developed to allow for dynamic impact data collection using force sensing resistors (FSRs), which were placed on the surrogate HT at six locations known to be vulnerable to puck impact injuries. Various hockey skates with the surrogate inserted were subjected to experimental puck blows at the relevant locations. Impacts were mimicked in lab-based setups using a custom projectile and standard pucks, both matched to the energy of a realistic puck shot. Recorded bony loads and impact durations were dependent on the tested boot location and skate type. The highest loads tended to be near the malleoli or metatarsals, providing a preliminary outlook on locations where protective improvements are warranted for existing skates. This work represents the first known development of a foot and ankle surrogate for projectile impact testing, as well as the first known experimental investigation into the impact responses of hockey skate boots. Use of the established testing approach during equipment design processes can ensure adequate protectiveness of skate boots for the improved safety of hockey players.