Traumatic rupture of the aorta (TRA) is one of the causes of death in automotive crashes. The risk of fatality is higher if the injury is not detected and treated promptly. Numerous laboratory experiments, retrospective studies, and theories with focus on TRA have yielded limited success.

Four real-world accidents with aortic injuries to the occupants were simulated using finite element (FE) methods. Two crashes were side impact, and the other two were frontal crashes. A two-phase approach was used. For Phase 1, car-to-car interaction was simulated using vehicle FE models. These simulations were validated qualitatively and quantitatively against available crash photographs and crush data. For Phase 2, interaction between the occupant and the interior of the automobile was simulated using input obtained as a result of the first phase simulation. The occupant was a mid-sized male whole-body human FE model developed at Wayne State University.

For the two side impact crashes, the peri-isthmic region demonstrated the greatest maximum principal strain (MPS) and longitudinal stress (LS). For the frontal crashes, the junction of the ascending aorta and the aortic arch was the region of greatest MPS and LS. Peak MPS and peak LS averaged within the peri-isthmic region of the aorta for the second phase FE simulations ranged from 0.072 to 0.160, and 0.93 MPa to 1.58 MPa, respectively.

These FE simulations demonstrate feasibility of the approach of using FE vehicles and FE occupant model to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the TRA. The results also have potential application to the design of experiments to study TRA in cadavers.