Quantifying the efficacy of protective eyewear in pediatric soccer-induced retinal injury

Abstract

Ocular injury is common in children playing sports. Sports-related eye injuries, if severe enough, can lead to permanent vision impairment. Soccer, the most popular sport in the world, is a sport in which players rarely use protective eyewear. The purpose of this study was to determine how eye injuries are induced by a soccer ball impact and to evaluate whether eye protection influences the effects of impact. A finite element (FE) computer simulation was used to simulate soccer ball trauma on a model of the eye with and without eye protection. Protective eyewear of different materials (polycarbonate and acrylic) was modeled to investigate the optimal medium for eye protection. Stress and strain experienced by the eyeball was quantified by the FE computer simulation in each model. Protective eyewear was found to be effective in lowering ocular stress and strain by absorbing and redirecting energy from the ball. Compared to the unprotected eye model, polycarbonate eyewear reduced the average stress the retina experienced by 61%, whereas the acrylic model reduced the average stress by 40%. Polycarbonate and acrylic eyewear also reduced the maximum strain experienced by the retina by 69% and 47%, respectively, reducing the severity of deformations of the eye on impact. These findings suggest that wearing protective eyewear, especially when made of polycarbonate, can be an effective means of reducing injury-inducing retinal stress. The use of eye protection is thus recommended for pediatric patients participating in soccer.