Evaluation of the Protective Padding in Professional Ice Hockey Gloves (original) (raw)

The objectives of this study were to determine the energy forces on the padded surfaces of professional hockey gloves from pucks striking them at high speeds and the effectiveness of the gloves to dissipate those forces. Hockey gloves used by players in the National Hockey League (NHL) were studied. The impact force of a puck striking their padded dorsal surfaces at high speed was simulated using a gravity based drop system, and the forces measured using thin film flexible force sensors. One sensor was positioned on the outside of the glove on its dorsal surface directly over the distal portion of the index metacarpal, and two were positioned inside the glove, one over that same metacarpal and the other more distal over the proximal phalanx of the index finger. Impact forces on each glove were analyzed with respect to time lag; the time difference from the initial impact force at the exterior sensor and the peak force transmitted at each internal sensor location. No differences in time lag or force transmission were observed over the index finger metacarpal or proximal phalanx regardless of variations in the padding configurations that sometimes included thin polyethylene shell inserts. However, differences were noted when the types of padding material were studied. Single and dual density foam materials were significantly more effective than multi-density materials in reducing force transmission. More effective padding materials combined with alterations in the manner they are configured would likely reduce the incidence of hand injuries in hockey players. Our studies showed that of the padding materials currently used in NHL hockey gloves, single and dual padding materials were more effective than multi-density padding in dissipating force transmissions from pucks striking at high speeds. However, for many gloves, those forces still remain too high.