Human body segments and whole body models are more and more used in automotive safety research. Detailed in deep validated segmental models exist and are used for the definition of improved injury criteria, transforming the models into injury prediction tools. The present collaborative work’s objective is to couple and to validate the Strasbourg University Head FE Model (SUFEHM) with the THUMS human body model under Ls-Dyna code before applying the new tool under accidental environment.

In a first effort, Strasbourg University Head Model and related injury criteria developed in earlier studies under RADIOSS code had to be transferred under Ls-Dyna code, both at constitutive laws and injury criteria definition level. For this, a validation of the SUFEHM against Nahum and Yoganandan’s experiments in order to validate brain and skull behavior respectively under Ls- Dyna has been done. After these validations the reconstruction of 59 real world head trauma has been conducted in order to propose head tolerance limits to specific injuries under Ls-Dyna code.

After this, the SUFEHM was coupled to the THUMS neck in order to create a hybrid “THUMS-Strasbourg head” model. At geometrical level the coupling was performed by creating interfaces at bone contact level and connecting ligaments and soft tissue elements to the head model. At mechanical level the coupled FEMs was validated under front, lateral and oblique impact regarding head-neck kinematics superimposed to experimental data.

This coupled model constitutes an original research tool for further investigation on the importance of human head boundary condition in case of head impact, whatever the accident condition are, car occupant, pedestrian or even motorcyclists.