A numerical investigation of factors affecting cervical spine injuries during rollover crashes

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Hu, Jingwen¹; Yang, King H²; Chou, Clifford C.²; King, Albert I.²

A numerical investigation of factors affecting cervical spine injuries during rollover crashes

Spine. November 1, 2008;33(23):2529-2535

©2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Affiliations

¹University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, MI

²Bioengineering Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Abstract and keywords

Study Design: Factors affecting the risk of cervical spine injury in rollover crashes were investigated using a detailed finite element human head-neck model.

Objective: Analyze systematically neck responses and associated injury predictors under complex loading conditions similar to real-world rollover scenarios and use the findings to identify potential design improvements.

Summary of Background Data: Although many previous experimental and numerical studies have focused on cervical spine injury mechanisms and tolerance, none of them have investigated the risk of cervical spine injuries under loading condition similar to that in rollovers.

Methods: The effects of changing the coefficient of friction (COF), impact velocity, padding material thickness and stiffness, and muscle force on the risk of neck injuries were analyzed in 16 different impact orientations based on a Taguchi array of design of experiments.

Results: Impact velocity is the most important factor in determining the risk of cervical spine fracture (P = 0.000). Decreases in the COF between the head and impact surface can effectively reduce the risk of cervical spine fracture (P = 0.038). If the COF is not 0, an impact with lateral force component could sometimes increase the risk of cervical spine fracture; and the larger the oriented angle of the impact surface, the more important it becomes to reduce the COF to protect the neck. Soft (P = 0.033) and thick (P = 0.137) padding can actually decrease the neck fracture risk, which is in contrast to previous experimental data.

Conclusion: A careful selection of proper padding stiffness and thickness, along with a minimized COF between the head and impact surface or between the padding and its supporting structure, may simultaneously decrease the risk of head and neck injuries during rollover crashes. A seatbelt design to effectively reduce/eliminate the head-to-roof impact velocity is also very crucial to enhance the neck protection in rollovers.

Keywords: cervical spine injury, finite element, rollover crash, Taguchi array
Links

DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318184aca0

PubMed: 18978594

WoS: 000260673300008
History

Received: 2008-01-19

Revised: 2008-06-06

Accepted: 2008-06-09

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Cited By (19)

Year	Entry
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2015	Siegmund GP, Chimich DD, Elkin BS. Role of muscles in accidental injury. In: Yoganandan N, Nahum AM, Melvin JW, eds. Accidental Injury: Biomechanics and Prevention. 3rd ed. New York: Springer; 2015:611-642.
2011	Newell RS, Siegmund GP, Cripton PA. Neck vertebral alignment and muscle activation is affected by whole body inversion. In: Proceedings of the 39th International Workshop on Human Subjects for Biomechanical Research. 2011.
2009	Crandall J. Simulating the road forward: the role of computational modeling in realizing future opportunities in traffic safety. In: Proceedings of the 2009 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 9-11, 2009; York, UK.3-27.
2012	Dennison CR, Saari A, Zhu Q, Nelson TS, Morley P, Itshayek E, Oxland TR, Cripton PA. Follower load influences the kinematics and kinetics of cervical spine buckling during simulated head first impact: an ex vivo study. In: Proceedings of the 8th Ohio State University Injury Biomechanics Symposium. May 13-15, 2012; Columbus, OH.
2014	Van Toen C, Melnyk AD, Street J, Oxland TR, Cripton P. The effects of lateral eccentricity on failure loads and injuries of the cervical spine in head-first impacts. In: Proceedings of the 10th Ohio State University Injury Biomechanics Symposium. May 18-20, 2014; Columbus, OH.
2015	Thomson VL, Cripton PA. Development and validation of a multi-body dynamics model of the Pro-Neck-Tor helmet. In: Proceedings of the 11th Ohio State University Injury Biomechanics Symposium. May 17-19, 2015; Columbus, OH.
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2012	Dennison CR, Macri EM, Cripton PA. Mechanisms of cervical spine injury in rugby union: is it premature to abandon hyperflexion as the main mechanism underpinning injury? Br J Sports Med. 2012;46(8):545-.
2013	Newell RS, Blouin J-S, Street J, Cripton PA, Siegmund GP. Neck posture and muscle activity are different when upside down: a human volunteer study. J Biomech. November 15, 2013;46(16):2837-2843.
2018	Quarrington RD. Towards Understanding the Injury Mechanics and Clinical Outcomes of Traumatic Subaxial Cervical Facet Dislocation and Fracture-Dislocation [PhD thesis]. University of Adelaide; December 2018.
2011	Nelson TS. Towards a Neck Injury Prevention Helmet for Head-First Impacts: A Mechanical Investigation [PhD thesis]. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia; December 2011.
2013	Van Toen CY. Biomechanics of Cervical Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Under Combined Axial Compression and Lateral Bending Loading [PhD thesis]. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia; December 2013.
2014	Newell R. Are Inversion, Posture, Motion and Muscle Effects Important to Spinal Alignment? [PhD thesis]. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia; April 2014.
2015	Thomson V. Furthering the Pro-Neck-Tor Helmet Technology Through Multibody Modeling and Design [Master's thesis]. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia; August 2015.
2018	Schoenfeld M. Cervical Intervertebral Kinematics and Neck Muscle Responses During Simulated Vehicle Rollovers [Master's thesis]. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia; August 2018.
2022	Darweesh M. Evaluating Cervical Spine Response and Potential for Injury During Head-First Impact Loading Using a Finite Element Head-Neck Model [Master's thesis]. University of Waterloo; 2022.
2013	Toomey DE. Cervical Spine Tolerance and Response in Compressive Loading Modes Including Combined Compression and Lateral Bending [PhD thesis]. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University; May 2013.