Successful removal of football helmet face-mask clips after 1 season of use.
BACKGROUND
Whereas many researchers have assessed the ability to remove loop straps in traditional face-mask attachment systems after at least 1 season of use, research in which the effectiveness of the Riddell Quick Release (QR) Face Guard Attachment System clip after 1 season has been assessed is limited.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the success rate of removing the QR clips after 1 season of use at the Football Championship Subdivision level. We hypothesized that 1 season of use would negatively affect the removal rate of the QR clip but repeated clip-removal trials would improve the removal rate.


METHODS
Retrospective, quasi-experimental design.


METHODS
Controlled laboratory study.


METHODS
Sixty-three football helmets from a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university located in western Pennsylvania used during the 2008 season were tested.


METHODS
Three certified athletic trainers (2 men, 1 woman; age = 31.3 ± 3.06 years, time certified = 9.42 ± 2.65 years) attempted to remove the QR clips from each helmet with the tool provided by the manufacturer. Helmets then were reassembled to allow each athletic trainer to attempt clip removal.


METHODS
The dependent variables were total left clips removed (TCR-L), total right clips removed (TCR-R), and total clips removed (TCR). Success rate of clip removal (SRCR) also was assessed.


RESULTS
Percentages for TCR-L, TCR-R, and TCR were 100% (189 of 189), 96.30% (182 of 189), and 98.15% (371 of 378), respectively. A paired-samples t test revealed a difference between TCR-R and TCR-L (t(188) = 2.689, P = .008, μ(d) = 0.037, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.064, 0.010). The percentage for SRCR was 96.30% (n = 182), whereas SRCR percentages for trials 1, 2, and 3 were 95.24% (n = 60), 98.41% (n = 62), and 95.24% (n = 60), respectively, and did not represent a difference (F(2,186) = 0.588, P = .56, 95% (CI) = 0.94, 0.99).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicated favorable and consistent success rates for QR clip removal after 1 season of use. Whereas the QR clip is an advancement in face-mask technology, continued examination of this system is required to ensure the highest level of function, allowing for effective management of the helmeted athlete.
Department of Athletic Training, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, 118 Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA. scibekj@duq.edu
Jason S
JS
Scibek
Joseph M
JM
Gatti
Jennifer I
JI
McKenzie
D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries*; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019876:Sports Equipment; D014495:Universities