Do shin guards provide the necessary injury protection?

This study (Francisco et al (2000). Am J Sp Med 28 (2), 227-233) looked at the effectiveness of commercially available shin guards at protecting against lower leg (tibia) fractures. The researchers tested 23 available models of shin guard of four main types - plastic, fibre glass, compressed air and Kevlar. The guards were place on a model leg which was designed from a human cadaver and included a synthetic tibia. An impact was provided by a machine and the resultant force, strain and contact times of the impact on the tibia were measured. These results were compared to the resultant forces and strain on the unguarded model leg.

The findings were very positive. All types of shin guards provided some kind of protection against tibia injury and reduced tibial force by 11-17% and tibial strain by 45-51% compared to the unguarded model leg.