title: A comparison of artificial turf.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In an attempt to decrease injuries, newer forms of artificial turf have been marketed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a new shredded rubber-based turf improves impact attenuation.
  
  
  METHODS
  An instrumented computerized impact recording device (IRD, Techmark, Lansing, MI) was dropped 20 times from a height of 48 inches onto five types of turf used by a professional football team.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Duncan's multiple range test shows that the new rubber-based field and the older foam field are not significantly different. There were significant differences, however, between sites on the shredded rubber-based field.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The change from a foam-based system to a shredded rubber-based system had no effect on impact attenuation overall. However, areas in the shredded rubber-based field were significantly compacted, causing some sites to be much harder than the foam-based surface it replaced.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. naunheir@msnotes.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Rosanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naunheim
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Parrott
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Standeven
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D012408:Rubber
chemical_list: D012408:Rubber