A new neck injury criterion in combined vertical/frontal crashes with head supported mass

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Bass, Cameron R. Dale¹; Donnellan, Lucy¹; Salzar, Robert¹; Lucas, Scott¹; Folk, Benny¹; Davis, Martin¹; Rafaels, Karin¹; Planchak, Chris¹; Meyerhoff, Kevin¹; Ziemba, Adam¹; Alem, Nabih²

A new neck injury criterion in combined vertical/frontal crashes with head supported mass

Proceedings of the 2006 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact

Affiliations

¹University of Virginia Center for Applied Biomechanics

²U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory
Abstract and keywords

This study developed a new neck injury risk function suitable for use in frontal crashes with occupant orientation ranging from predominantly horizontal to predominantly vertical in the occupant anterior-posterior (A/P) direction. In this study, 36 cadaveric head/neck complexes and 6 whole cadavers were tested under impact scenarios with varying total head mounted mass and center of gravity locations. Matched Hybrid III and THOR dummy tests were also performed. The resulting injury criterion is based on a beam model of the lower cervical spine and is expressed as

BC = Fz/Fzx + My/Myc

where Fz is the axial compression/tension force, and My is the A/P flexion moment, both at the C7/T1 intervertebral disc. The derived constant values of FZC are 5660 N in axial tension and 5430 N in axial compression and MYC is 141 N-m in A/P flexion. These values are comparable to single axis injury tolerance values described in the literature and in existing motor vehicle injury standards for the upper cervical spine (FMVSS-208, 2003). Beam criterion values (BC) of 1.0 correspond to a 50% risk of an AIS≥2 injury in the human cervical spine. The THOR dummy was found to reproduce the kinematics of the cadaver better than did the Hybrid III dummy. However, response curves showed differences between the THOR and the cadaver that were due to anatomy.

Keywords: Neck; Frontal Impacts; Injury Criteria; Dummies

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Cited By (7)

Year	Entry
2015	Nightingale RW, Myers BS, Yoganandan N. Neck injury biomechanics. In: Yoganandan N, Nahum AM, Melvin JW, eds. Accidental Injury: Biomechanics and Prevention. 3rd ed. New York: Springer; 2015:259-308.
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2018	Eckersley CP, Cox CA, Ortiz-Paparoni MA, Lutz RH, Sell TC, Bass CR. A pain in the neck: a modeling analysis for design limitations of head supported mass. In: Proceedings of the 14th Ohio State University Injury Biomechanics Symposium. May 20-22, 2018; Columbus, OH.
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