Numerical investigation of knee-thigh-hip injuries in frontal vehicle collisions

Heath, Douglas R.; Silvestri, Chiara; Ray, Malcolm H.

Affiliations

¹AECOM Technology Corporation, 66 Long Wharf, Boston, MA, 02110

²Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3135

³Roadsafe LLC, 12 Main Street, Canton, ME 04221

Abstract

Recent improvements to occupant restraint systems, such as seat belts and airbags, have caused a shift in the injury profile that results from vehicle collisions from primarily upper body to primarily lower extremity injuries. Injuries of the knee-thigh-hip (KTH) region have been shown to be some of the most debilitating. This project used a finite element model of the KTH region to study injury. A parametric investigation was conducted; the finite element KTH was simulated as a vehicle occupant positioned to a range of precrash driving postures. Results indicated that timing between a significant rise in foot-floor and knee-bolster contact force affected knee kinematics and axial force absorbed by the KTH region. Findings also suggest that introducing a lag time between the respective contacts may decrease the likelihood of KTH bone injury.

Links

DOI: 10.3141/2281-09

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