Design of a Shoulder Pad to Reduce the Risk of Injury in Men's Lacrosse

Frances Buckley, Elianna Charmaine; Cabello, Juliana A.; Hoops, Gabriela Prado; Carlton, Tristin John

Student Work

Design of a Shoulder Pad to Reduce the Risk of Injury in Men's Lacrosse Public

Many shoulder injuries occur as a result of player-to-player contact in collegiate men's lacrosse despite the required protective equipment mandated by the NCAA. There are currently no standards for lacrosse shoulder pads, and current shoulder pad designs do not provide sufficient coverage to the entire shoulder. We developed a design aimed to maximize both protection and mobility. Our prototype consisted of a dual-layer protection system encompassed in a compression layer to ensure a snug fit during play. Impact tests were conducted using a pendulum testing rig, and comfort and mobility were assessed by surveying college lacrosse players. During a low, medium, and high impact test our pad reduced the g-force experienced while not limiting overhead and lateral range of motion.

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