ABSTRACT
Armor vests are used by military personnel to protect the torso against ballistic challenges . Development of armor to protect the extremities as well was recently undertaken. In the limited testing to date, it was found that wear of extremity armor increases the energy cost of walking and running relative to that with the armor vest alone, a penalty associated with the added weight on the body. The present study was conducted to examine design characteristics of extremity armor that may negatively impact mobility. Three designs of extremity armor were investigated. They were similar in weight, but differed in the area of the body surface covered by ballistic materiaL Eleven Army enlisted men participated in the test. Measurements were taken of the maximum extent of movement in various planes of the body in the armor vest worn alone and with each of the three extremity armor systems. Compatibility of the extremity armor with military equipment and activities was also examined and participants completed a survey on their opinions regarding the armor. It was found that the three types of extremity armor restricted range of motion to a greater extent that wear of the vcst alone. The extremity armor systems also interfered with weapon aiming and use of the standard Army backpack. Further, the three designs of extremity armor differentially affected performance. The poorest mobility and the system least preferred by the participants was the version providing the greatest ballistic coverage of the body. The results of this
study indicate that design elcments of extremity armor are critical in maximizing warfighter mobility on the battlefield.
