Wearing an American football helmet increases axial loading of the neck during blunt impacts

We investigated the influence of an American football helmet on axial loading at the cervical spine during low-velocity impacts at eight impact locations to a Hybrid III headform. Compared to bare head impacts, the football helmet condition frequently resulted in increased axial loads at the cervical spine. While helmet technologies concentrate on reducing head kinematics at impact, attention should be paid to the influence these helmets have on cervical spine kinetics.