{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T20:51:06Z","timestamp":1773262266867,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,5]],"date-time":"2025-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759622400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.mdpi.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Computation"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In this paper, the evaluation of the mechanical performance of novel, designed topologically optimized shin pads with advanced materials will be conducted with the aid of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to assess the endurance of the final structure on impact phenomena extracted from actual real-life data acquired from contact sports. The main focus of the developed prototype is to have high-enough energy absorption capabilities and vibration isolation properties, crucial for the development of trustworthy protective equipment. The insertion of advanced materials with controlled weight fractions and lattice geometries aims to strategically improve those properties and provide tailored characteristics similar to the actual human skeleton. The final design is expected to be used as standalone protective equipment for athletes or as a protective shield for the development of human lower limb prosthetics. In this context, computational investigation of the dynamic mechanical response was conducted by replicating a real-life phenomenon of the impact during a contact sport in a median condition of a stud kick impact and an extreme case scenario to assess the dynamic response under shock-absorption conditions and the final design\u2019s structural integrity by taking into consideration the injury prevention capabilities. The results demonstrate that the proposed lattice geometries positively influence the injury prevention capabilities by converting a severe injury to light one, especially in the gyroid structure where the prototype presented a unified pattern of stress distribution and a higher reduction in the transmitted force. The incorporation of the PA-12 matrix reinforced with the reused ground tire rubber results in a structure with high enough overall strength and crucial modifications on the absorption and damping capabilities vital for the integrity under dynamic conditions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/computation13100236","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,6]],"date-time":"2025-10-06T11:42:49Z","timestamp":1759750969000},"page":"236","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Mechanical Evaluation of Topologically Optimized Shin Pads with Advanced Composite Materials: Assessment of the Impact Properties Utilizing Finite Element Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Ioannis Filippos","family":"Kyriakidis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"},{"name":"Information Technologies Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6594-8770","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nikolaos","family":"Kladovasilakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Information Technologies Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6385-2815","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eleftheria Maria","family":"Pechlivani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Information Technologies Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7050-5432","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Tsongas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Buckingham, P., and European Football Revenue Hit Record \u20ac38bn in 2023\u201324 Season (2025, July 10). 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