title: Biomechanical assessment of the injury risk of stomping.
abstract: Forensic case work as well as literature shows that severe head injuries, e.g., with basilar fractures and cerebral hemorrhages due to stomps can be seen; however, there is no data basis concerning contact forces and potential influencing factors. The objective of this work was to generate a data basis of contact forces in stomping by performing experimental measurements and subsequent statistical analyses. Fifty-five volunteers participated in the present study. Each participant performed several stomps onto force plates with sturdy/soft footwear as well as with/without an elastic layer imitating the scalp. Ground reaction forces induced by jumps were also measured for sturdy and soft footwear. The results show statistically significant dependencies between maximum ground reaction forces and body weight and body height. A statistically significant influence of footwear on stomping force could only be found in tests with an elastic layer and in the jumping setup. Mean maximum stomping forces for the female volunteers were between 4694 and 5970 N; male volunteers were able to produce mean peak stomping forces between 8494 and 9016 N. Jumping forces were approximately twice the stomping forces for both male and female test persons. Regardless of footwear and gender, it can be claimed that a forceful stomp or jump to someone's head supported on the ground can cause facial and skull fractures. Thus, forceful stomps or jumps to someone's head can cause potential fatal injuries independent of footwear, gender, or fitness level.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Frederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schirmer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany. holger.muggenthaler@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muggenthaler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hubig
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schenkl
authors.affiliation: Motionscience, Institute of Sport Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Motionscience, Institute of Sport Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blickhan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Gita
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D044707:Forensic Sciences; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012775:Shoes; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Biomechanics; Head injury; Injury risk; Stomping