Investigation of the head impact power of a Sepak Takraw ball on Sepak Takraw Players

Iskandar Hasanuddin, Zahari Taha, Nukman Yusoff, Norhafizan Ahmad, Raja Ariffin Raja Ghazilla, Husni Usman, Tuan Mohammad Yusoff Shah Tuan Ya

Abstract


Sepak takraw is a traditional sport in Asia in which the players use various parts of their bodies to hit the ball, with the exception of their hands. Unlike other sports such as soccer, boxing, and rugby, it is observed that none of the studies in the literature have examined the injuries resulting from the impact of the sepak takraw ball on the players’ heads during a game. This study was initiated following the incidents of the 24th SEA Games in Korat, Thailand, in year 2007, whereby a number of players from the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) had to withdraw themselves from the championship. These players suffered from headaches which were believed to be caused by the impact of the sepak takraw ball, considering the fact that heading is one of the basic movements used to hit the ball. Moreover, it is expected that the sepak takraw ball travels at high velocities during the game. Hence, the objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the sepak takraw ball and its corresponding level of head injury among sepak takraw players in Malaysia by means of numerical simulations and experiments. In order to achieve this objective, a model of the scalp, skull, cerebrospinal fluid and brain is first developed and simulations are then carried out using finite element analysis (FEA) software. The results show that the maximum speed of the sepak takraw ball before heading is 13.581 m/s while the maximum impact force on the head obtained from the simulations is 688.11 N. The maximum displacement and maximum linear acceleration of the brain’s centre of gravity is found to be 0.0080 m and 1674.5 m/s2, respectively, while the head impact power (HIP) is determined to be 11.366 kW. According to Newman et al. (2000), the probability of concussion is 39% and based on the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that the players may suffer from mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) due to the high impact of the sepak takraw ball during heading. Hence, it is recommended that the players wear protective headbands to reduce the impact during heading and prevent the occurrence of MTBI in the long term.


Keywords


Sepak takraw, head impact power, finite element analysis

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahmad, N., Taha, Z., Tuan Ya, S. Y. M. T. & Hasanuddin, I. (2012). Finite element simulation of takraw balls and their impact on a flat surface. Movement, Health & Exercise, 1(1), 1-9.

Arbogast, K. B, & Margulies, S. S. (1999). A fiber-reinforced composite model of the viscoelastic behavior of the brainstem in shear. Journal Biomech, 32, 865–870.

Gadd, C. W. (1966). Use of Weighted-Impulse Criterion for Establishing Injury Hazard, Proceedings of the Tenth Stapp Car Crash Conference, Holloman Airforce Base, p. 164. New Mexico, USA: Holloman Air Force Base

Gurdjian, E. S., Webster, J. E., & Lissner, H. R. (1955). Observations on the mechanism of brain concussion, contusion and laceration. Surg Gynecol Obstet, 101, 680-690.

Huang, H., Lee, M., Lee, S., Chiu, W., Pan, L., & Chen, C. (2000). Finite element analysis of brain contusion: an indirect impact study. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, 38(2), 253–259.

Itabashi, H. H. (2007). Blunt force head injury. In H.H. Itabashi, J. M. Andrews, U. Tomiyasu, S. S. Erlich, & L. Sathyavagiswaran. Forensic neuropathology: A practical review of fundamentals, pp. 167-198. Burlington, MA: Academic Press.

Lipton, M., (2011). Heading a ball trigger brain damage. Annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Oak Brook, Illinois, U.S.A: Radiological Society of North America

Morrison, III. B., Cater, H., Wang, C., Thomas, F., Hung, C., Ateshian, G., & Sundstrom, L. (2003). A tissue level tolerance criterion for living brain developed with an in vitro model of traumatic mechanical loading. Stapp Car Crash Journal, 47, 93–105.

Newman, J. A, Shewchenko, N., & Welbourne, E. (2000). A proposed new biomechanical head injury assessment function - the maximum power index. Stapp Car Crash, 44, 215-247.

Schmitt, K. U., Niederer, F. P., Muser, H. M. & Wals, F. (2007). Trauma biomechanics - accidental injury in traffic and sport (2nd edition). Heidelberg: Springer.

Taha. Z, Iskandar & Hilma. (2008). A study of the impact of sepak takraw balls on the head. International Journal of Sports Science and Engineering, 2(2), 107-110.

Taha, Z., Hasanuddin, I., Tuan Ya, S. Y. M. T, Ahmad, N., & Raja Ghazilla, R. A. (2010). Estimation of head impact power on sepak takraw players using photogrametrics method. Proceedings of the 11th Asia Pacific Industrial Engineering & Management Systems Conference. 7-10 December, Melaka, Malaysia.

Takhounts, E., Eppinger, R., Campbell, J., Tannous, R., Power, E., & Shook, L. (2003). On the development of the SIMon finite element head model. Stapp Car Crash, 47, 107–133.

Willinger, R., & Baumgartner, D. (2003). Human head tolerance limits to specific injury mechanisms. International Journal of Crashworthiness, 8(6), 605–617.

Zhang, L., Yang, K., & King, A. (2001). Comparison of brain responses between frontal and lateral impacts by finite element modeling. Journal of Neuratrauma, 18(1), 21–30.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.15282/mohe.v4i2.21