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Better Protection For Your Neck

Specialized Braces for Football Players

L.E.X.BRACE offers specialized braces for football players to help prevent injuries, including a neck brace for added protection and support during play. The risk of head injury in contact and high-speed sports has been considerably reduced with modern helmets. Unfortunately, the forces applied to the neck and brain stem due to hits, crashes, and falls increase when a helmet is worn.

The L.E.X.BRACE (Low Energy eXchange brace), a patented sports neck brace, has been designed to absorb and divert energy away from the neck to the shoulder. It does not attach to the helmet or shoulder pads. As opposed to other available braces, it will absorb energy in all directions, in particular, the most serious being axial loading and flexion.

The L.E.X.BRACE has been successfully field-tested for 15 years at the high school level. Initial biomechanical testing indicates superior protection by the L.E.X.BRACE compared to a cervical “roll” or “cowboy” collar. Dr. Hartunian, the inventor, is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist who has been in practice for over 40 years.

For more information on licensing this patented device, companies or venture capitalists are welcome to contact us.

The Three-Minute L.E.X.BRACE Trailer

The L.E.X.BRACE Story Video

The L.E.X.BRACE Performance Video

Learn about our specialized neck braces.

Initial Biomechanical Testing of the L.E.X.BRACE "Cowboy" and "Roll" Collars

At Wayne State University's Biomechanics Lab in Detroit, MI

Results: A summary of results is given in Table 1, indicating the maximum values obtained during the tests.

Table 1: Maximum Value Obtained During Tests

When comparing the shock-attenuating properties of the various devices to the no-brace condition (Table 1), the L.E.X.BRACE significantly reduced the shock the brain experiences during the impact.

While on the other hand, the other two devices appear to increase the severity of the impact as measured by the SI. The changes in SI with the use of a cervical device may play an important factor in the continued effort to reduce the number of concussions that occur in football every year. It is apparent from this data that more research needs to be done on the relationship between cervical spine protection and its effect on head injury.

Closing Observations:

Cervical devices affect both the loads seen in the neck region and the harshness of the impact as measured by the severity index (SI). In most cases, the cervical brace reduced the forces seen in the occipital region as compared to the no brace quote condition. The reduction in the observed peak forces changed from brace to brace, with the neck roll providing the most protection for the upper neck against the hyperextension forces of a frontal impact.

In the frontal impacts, shear and axial loading do not seem to be important factors in the injury mechanism since they are well below their respective injury tolerance levels. When examining the effect of a cervical device on the impact's severity, the findings are surprising. Using a cervical device seems to increase the SI value over that when no device is used. The L.E.X.BRACE was the only cervical device that lowered the SI in the frontal impact.

The L.E.X.BRACE also reduced the SI value in the axial loading case. The exact mechanism that causes these trends is still unknown, and additional research needs to be conducted.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, its effect on the entire system must be examined when looking at any type of protective equipment. When evaluating the various types of neck protection devices, it is important to determine how they protect the cervical spine from injury and their effect on the accelerations that cause head injury. With today's technology, we can track both the head and neck's response to a given input.

Wayne State University is continuing its research into making sports safer on the road, on the field, and in the ring. Please don't hesitate to contact us to discuss the capabilities of our facilities and discover how we can assist you in your endeavors.