The biomechanics of human ribs: material and structural properties from dynamic tension and bending tests

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Kemper, Andrew R.¹; McNally, Craig¹; Pullins, Clayton A.¹; Freeman, Laura J.¹; Duma, Stefan M.¹; Rouhana, Stephen W.²

The biomechanics of human ribs: material and structural properties from dynamic tension and bending tests

Stapp Car Crash J. 2007;51:235-273

Affiliations

¹Virginia Tech-Wake Forest, Center for Injury Biomechanics

²Ford Motor Company
Abstract and keywords

The purpose of this study was to quantify both the tensile material properties and structural response of human ribs in order to determine which variables contribute to regional variation in the strength of human ribs. This was done by performing 94 matched tests on human rib specimens; 46 tension coupon tests, 48 three-point bending tests. Contralateral matched specimens were dissected from anterior and lateral regions of ribs 4 through 7 of six male fresh frozen post mortem human subjects ranging from 42 to 81 years of age. Tension coupons were taken from one side of the thorax, while three-point bending specimens were taken from the opposite side as the tension coupons at corresponding anatomical locations. The results of the tension coupon testing showed that there were no significant differences with respect to region or rib level: ultimate stress (p=0.90; p=0.53), ultimate strain (p=0.49; p=0.86), or modulus (p=0.72; p=0.81). In contrast, lateral three-point bending specimens were found to have a significantly higher peak bending moment (p<0.01), peak strain (p=0.03), modulus (p=0.05), and stiffness (p<0.01) than anterior specimens. The lateral three-point bending specimens also had a significantly larger area moment of inertia (p<0.01), larger distance to the neutral axis (p<0.01), smaller ratio of distance to the neutral axis to area moment of inertia (p<0.01), larger cortical bone area (p<0.01), and larger radius of gyration (p<0.01) than the anterior specimens. In addition, the peak moment (Ant p=0.20; Lat p=0.02), peak strain (Ant p=0.05; Lat p=0.15), and stiffness (Ant p<0.01; Lat p<0.01) were found to vary significantly with respect to rib level. Similar to anatomical region, the changes in the structural response with respect to rib level were also accompanied by significant changes in geometry. For anterior specimens, distance to the neutral axis (p<0.01), ratio of the distance to the neutral axis to area moment of inertia (p=0.02) and radius of gyration (p=0.04) were found to be significantly different with respect to rib level. For lateral specimens, the area moment of inertia (p<0.01), distance to the neutral axis (p<0.01), ratio of the distance to the neutral axis to area moment of inertia (p<0.01), the cortical bone area (p=0.01), and radius of gyration (p=0.03) were found to be significantly different with respect to rib level. These results clearly illustrate that there is variation in the structural response of human ribs with respect to anatomical region and rib level and this variation is due to changes in local geometry of each rib while the material properties remain constant.

Keywords: thorax; injury; bone; biomechanics; rib; stress; strain; tension; bending
Links

PubMed: 18278600

SAE: 2007-22-0011

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2014	Mendoza Vázquez M. Thoracic Injuries in Frontal Car Crashes: Risk Assessment Using a Finite Element Human Body Model [PhD thesis]. Götenburg, Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology; 2014.
2018	Lundin L, Storm S. Detailed FE Rib Modelling for Fracture Prediction [Master's thesis]. Götenburg, Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology; 2018.
2010	Dones AM. Finite Element Simulation: Tensile Test of Rib Cortical Bone [Master's thesis]. Götenburg, Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology; April 2010.
2011	Agnew AM. Histomorphometry of the Elderly Rib: A Methodological Approach With Implications for Biomechanics, Function, and Fracture Risk [PhD thesis]. The Ohio State University; 2011.
2015	Schafman MA. Dynamic Structural Properties of Human Ribs in Frontal Loading [Master's thesis]. The Ohio State University; 2015.
2017	Shurtz BK. Human Thoracic Response to Impact: Chestband Effects, the Strain-Deflection Relationship, and Small Females in Side Impact Crashes [PhD thesis]. The Ohio State University; 2017.
2018	Dominguez VM. Defining Bone Quality: Cortical Microdamage and Its Contribution to Fracture Risk in the Human Rib [PhD thesis]. The Ohio State University; 2018.
2021	Harden AL. A Multidisciplinary Approach to Skeletal Trauma Research: Interdisciplinary Methods and Applications [PhD thesis]. The Ohio State University; 2021.
2021	Sreedhar A. The Development of an Analytical Model to Predict Thoracic Response from Dynamic Individual Rib Tests [Master's thesis]. The Ohio State University; 2021.
2021	Tillis M. Modeling Stress-Strain Curves At the Fracture Location of Human Ribs from Structural Dynamic Bending Tests [Master's thesis]. The Ohio State University; 2021.
2020	Marinho L. The Relationship Between Fracture Morphology and Bone Biomechanics: A Study of Changes Occurring in Juvenile Porcine Ribs Over the Early Postmortem Interval [PhD thesis]. Simon Fraser University; 2020.
2013	Eleazer CD. The Interaction of Mechanical Loading and Metabolic Stress on Human Cortical Bone: Testing Anthropological Assumptions Using Cross-Sectional Geometry and Histomorphology [PhD thesis]. Knoxville, University of Tennessee; August 2013.
2009	Kindig MM. Tolerance to Failure and Geometric Influences on the Stiffness of Human Ribs Under Anterior-Posterior Loading [Master's thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; December 2009.
2017	Park G. Injury Risk Functions Based on Responses of Population-Based Finite Element Models: Application to Femurs Under Dynamic Loading [PhD thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; May 2017.
2022	Kulkarni S. Method for Thoracic Injury Risk Function Development for Human Body Models [Master's thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; May 2022.
2009	Yuen KF. The Development of a Numerical Human Body Model for the Analysis of Automotive Side Impact Lung Trauma [Master's thesis]. University of Waterloo; 2009.
2010	Kemper AR. The Biomechanics of Thoracic Skeletal Response [PhD thesis]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; March 30, 2010.
2012	Alphonse VD. Injury Biomechanics of the Human Eye During Blunt and Blast Loading [Master's thesis]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; March 26, 2012.
2012	Daniel RW II. Head Acceleration Measurements in Helmet-Helmet Impacts and the Youth Population [Master's thesis]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; April 16, 2012.
2018	Albert DL. Biomechanical Responses of Human Surrogates Under Various Frontal Loading Conditions With an Emphasis on Thoracic Response and Injury Tolerance [PhD thesis]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; April 19, 2018.
2017	Kalra A. Development of an Elderly Female Torso Finite Element Model for Restraint System Research and Development Applications [PhD thesis]. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University; May 2017.
2017	Yaek JL. Biofidelity Assessment of 6-Year-Old Anthropometric Test Devices (ATDs) and Scaling Laws in Lateral Impact [PhD thesis]. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University; 2017.
2015	Lynch SK. Characterization of Rib Cortical Bone Thickness Changes With Age and Sex [Master's thesis]. Winston-Salem, NC: Wake Forest University; May 2015.