The Effect Of Cutting And Removal Tools On The Time For Facemask Removal

The purpose of this study was to determine which facemask removal tool could remove the facemask in the fastest time. Subjects retracted the facemask of a football helmet mounted to a fixed surface in a laboratory setting. Subjects removed a standard facemask by cutting and/or removing the lateral plastic loop straps using four different tools. The Trainers Angel super(TM) (TA), FM Extractor super(TM) (FM), power screwdriver (SD), and Quick Release System (Jo Silken, ATC, Skyline College, CA) (QR) were used in a counterbalanced design. Each subject was given a ten-minute training and familiarization session with the tools and then performed eight trials, two with each tool. Eighteen certified athletic trainers (24.6 plus or minus 2.4 years old, 2.1 plus or minus 2.3 years certified, 2.6 plus or minus 2.3 years of football experience) participated in this study. Time, for each trial, started when the subject picked up the tool and ended when the facemask was in a fully retracted position. A significant difference for time was found between the four tools (p=.0001). Statistical analysis showed that all tools were found to be significantly different from each other, with the QR (20.93 plus or minus 9.0 sec) being the fastest followed by the SD (31.24 plus or minus 11.08 sec), FM (71.74 plus or minus 28.82 sec), and TA (97.59 plus or minus 51.37 sec). Removal of the plastic loop strap completely, via the QR or SD, was quicker than the tools that cut through the loop strap (TA and FM). These results support previous research that shows the SD is faster than the cutting tools for facemask removal. Additionally, the Quick Release System (currently in a prototype phase) proved to be the fastest removal tool. The QR is a facemask removal system comprised of a spring-loaded nut and bolt system used to secure the loop straps to the helmet. Future research should continue to examine the QR as an effective removal tool and attempt to quantify the amount of motion produced at the cervical spine with various facemask removal tools.