Previous studies about the influence of the neck on head kinematics and brain injuries have shown different results. Today bicycle helmets are certified with only a headform in radial experiments but could be improved with oblique impacts. Then the question is how the helmet’s performance will be affected by the neck and the rest of the body. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use finite element simulations to investigate the influence of the body on head kinematics and injury prediction in single bicycle accident situations with and without a helmet. The THUMS-KTH model was used to study the difference between head only and full body. In total, a simulation matrix of 120 simulations was compared by altering initial impact posture, head protection, and muscle activation. The results show that the body in impacts against a hard surface can change the amplitudes and curve shapes of the kinematics and brain tissue strain. The study found an average ratio between head only and full body for peak brain tissue strain to be 1.04 (SD 0.11), for peak linear acceleration 1.06 (SD 0.04), for peak angular acceleration 1.08 (SD 0.09) and for peak angular velocity 1.05 (SD 0.13).
Keywords:
bicycle, brain injuries, head, helmet, neck