This study pooled the data from nine previous studies to develop and evaluate new injury risk curves to predict AIS2+ and AIS3+ abdominal injuries from belt loading. The evaluated predictors were based on lap belt force, abdominal compression (Cmax), rate of compression (Vmax), and pressure in the abdominal vasculature. Injury risk curves were generated using logistic regression and survival analysis via non-parametric methods and parametric methods with three distributions. The fit and predictive ability of each injury risk curve were assessed using multiple methods. The purely rate-based metrics, Vmax and P’ (rate of pressure) were not significant predictors for either injury threshold. All other predictors were significant for at least one injury risk curve among the different distributions and injury thresholds tested. The best predictors for AIS2+ injuries were pressure and lap belt force. The best predictor for AIS3+ injuries was V*C. Pressure was a good predictor for both injury risk thresholds. This indicates that abdominal vascular pressure is a promising metric for abdominal injury risk predictions.
Keywords:
Abdominal compression; belt force; pressure; rate of compression; rate of pressure