Share:


The influence of impact speed on chest injury outcome in whole body frontal sled impacts

    Sen Xiao Affiliation
    ; Fuhao Mo Affiliation
    ; Jikuang Yang Affiliation
    ; Jing Huang Affiliation
    ; Zhi Xiao Affiliation
    ; Jeff R. Crandall Affiliation

Abstract

While the seatbelt restraint has significantly improved occupant safety, the protection efficiency still needs further enhance to reduce the consequence of the crash. Influence of seatbelt restraint loading on chest injury under 40 km/h has been tested and documented. However, a comprehensive profiling of the efficiency of restraint systems with various impact speeds has not yet been sufficiently reported. The purpose of this study is to analyse the effect of the seatbelt loadings on chest injuries at different impact speeds utilizing a high bio-fidelity human body Finite Element (FE) model. Based on the whole-body frontal sled test configuration, the current simulation is setup using a substitute of Post-Mortem Human Subjects (PMHS). Chest injury outcomes from simulations are analysed in terms of design variables, such as seatbelt position parameters and collision speed in a full factorial experimental design. These outcomes are specifically referred to strain-based injury probabilities and four-point chest deflections caused by the change of the parameters. The results indicate that impact speed does influence chest injury outcome. The ribcage injury risk for more than 3 fractured ribs will increase from around 40 to nearly 100% when the impact speed change from 20 to 40 km/h if the seatbelt positioned at the middle-sternum of this study. Great injuries to the chest are mainly caused by the change of inertia, which indicates that chest injuries are greatly affected by the impact speed. Furthermore, the rib fracture risk and chest deflection are nonlinearly correlated with the change of the seatbelt position parameters. The study approach can serve as a reference for seatbelt virtual design. Meanwhile, it also provides basis for the research of chest injury mechanism.


First published online 26 January 2021

Keyword : impact speed, seatbelt loading, chest injury outcomes, computational biomechanics, fracture risks

How to Cite
Xiao, S., Mo, F., Yang, J., Huang, J., Xiao, Z., & Crandall, J. R. (2020). The influence of impact speed on chest injury outcome in whole body frontal sled impacts. Transport, 35(6), 669-678. https://doi.org/10.3846/transport.2020.14280
Published in Issue
Dec 31, 2020
Abstract Views
5867
PDF Downloads
677
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Andermahr, J.; Jubel, A.; Elsner, A.; Johann, J.; Prokop, A.; Rehm, K. E.; Koebke, J. 2007. Anatomy of the clavicle and the intramedullary nailing of midclavicular fractures, Clinical Anatomy 20(1): 48–56. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.20269

Ash, J. H.; Shaw, G.; Lessley, D. J.; Crandall, J. 2013. PMHS restraint and support surface forces in simulated frontal crashes, International Journal of Automotive Engineering 4(2): 41–46. https://doi.org/10.20485/jsaeijae.4.2_41

Astier, V.; Thollon, L.; Arnoux, P. J.; Mouret, F.; Brunet, P. C. 2008. Development of a finite element model of the shoulder: application during a side impact, International Journal of Crashworthiness 13(3): 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/13588260801933741

Baker, S. P.; O’Neill, B.; Haddon, W.; Long, W. B. 1974. The injury severity score: a method for describing patients with multiple injuries and evaluating emergency care, The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care 14(3): 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-197403000-00001

Cai, Z.-H.; Lan, F.-C.; Chen, J.-Q.; Liu, W.-G.; Lei, D. 2013. Development and validation for finite element model of human thorax based on automotive impact injuries, Journal of Medical Biomechanics (1): 36–43. (in Chinese).

Choi, H. Y.; Lee, I. 2009. Thorax FE model for older population, in Proceedings of Joint Symposium: Symposium on Sports Engineering, Symposium on Human Dynamics 2009: 367–372. https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmesports.2009.0_367

Crandall, J. R.; Bose, D.; Forman, J.; Untaroiu, C. D.; Arregui‐Dalmases, C.; Shaw, C. G.; Kerrigan, J. R. 2011. Human surrogates for injury biomechanics research, Clinical Anatomy 24(3): 362–371. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.21152

Crandall, J.; Lessley, D.; Shaw, G.; Ash, J. 2014. Displacement response of the spine in restrained PMHS during frontal impacts, International Journal of Automotive Engineering 5(2): 59–64. https://doi.org/10.20485/jsaeijae.5.2_59

Deng, Y.; Kong, W.; Ho, H. 1999. Development of a finite element human thorax model for impact injury studies, SAE Technical Paper 1999-01-0715. https://doi.org/10.4271/1999-01-0715

Donlon, J. P.; Poulard, D.; Lessley, D.; Riley, P.; Subit, D. 2015. Understanding how pre-impact posture can affect injury outcome in side impact sled tests using a new tool for visualization of cadaver kinematics, Journal of Biomechanics 48(3): 529–533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.12.042

Duprey, S.; Subit, D.; Guillemot, H.; Kent, R. W. 2010. Biomechanical properties of the costovertebral joint, Medical Engineering & Physics 32(2): 222–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2009.12.001

Forman, J. L.; Del Pozo de Dios, E.; Kent, R. W. 2010. A pseudoelastic effective material property representation of the costal cartilage for use in finite element models of the whole human body, Traffic Injury Prevention 11(6): 613–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2010.517254

Forman, J. L.; Kent, R. W.; Mroz, K.; Pipkorn, B.; Bostrom, O.; Segui-Gomez, M. 2012. Predicting rib fracture risk with whole-body finite element models: development and preliminary evaluation of a probabilistic analytical framework, Annals of Advances in Automotive Medicine 56: 109–124.

Gayzik, F. S.; Moreno, D. P.; Vavalle, N. A.; Rhyne, A. C.; Stitzel, J. D. 2011. Development of the global human body models consortium midsized male full body model, in Injury Biomechanics Research: Proceedings of the Thirty-Ninth International Workshop, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Washington, DC, US, 1–11.

Hollowell, W. T.; Gabler, H. C.; Stucki, S. L.; Summers, S.; Hackney, J. R. 1998. Review of Potential Test Procedures for FMVSS No. 208. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Washington, DC, US. 110 p. Available from Internet: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/nprm_208_0.Pdf

Hu, Y.; Liang, Y.; Jiang, C.; Liu, X.; Liao, G.; Feng, Q.; Liu, W. 2015. Application of the occupant injury investigation in frontal crash based on THUMS model, Journal of Automotive Safety and Energy 6(4): 379–383. (in Chinese).

Ito, O.; Dokko, Y.; Ohashi, K. 2009. Development of adult and elderly FE thorax skeletal models, SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-0381. https://doi.org/10.4271/2009-01-0381

Iwamoto, M.; Kisanuki, Y.; Watanabe, I.; Furusu, K.; Miki, K.; Hasegawa, J. 2002. Development of a finite element model of the total human model for safety (THUMS) and application to injury reconstruction, in Proceedings of the International IRCOBI Conference, 18–20 September 2002, Munich, Germany, 1–12.

Kemper, A. R.; McNally, C.; Pullins, C. A.; Freeman, L. J.; Duma, S. M.; Rouhana, S. W. 2007. The biomechanics of human ribs: material and structural properties from dynamic tension and bending tests, SAE Technical Paper 2007-22-0011. https://doi.org/10.4271/2007-22-0011

Kent, R.; Lee, S.-H.; Darvish, K.; Wang, S.; Poster, C. S.; Lange, A. W.; Brede, C.; Lange, D.; Matsuoka, F. 2005. Structural and material changes in the aging thorax and their role in crash protection for older occupants, SAE Technical Paper 2005-22-0011. https://doi.org/10.4271/2005-22-0011

Kent, R.; Patrie, J. 2005. Chest deflection tolerance to blunt anterior loading is sensitive to age but not load distribution, Forensic Science International 149(2–3): 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.04.086

Li, Z.; Kindig, M. W.; Kerrigan, J. R.; Untaroiu, C.; Subit, D.; Crandall, J., Kent, R. W. 2010a. Rib fractures under anterior–posterior dynamic loads: Experimental and finite-element study, Journal of Biomechanics 43(2): 228–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2009.08.040

Li, Z.; Kindig, M. W.; Subit, D.; Kent, R. W. 2010b. Influence of Mesh Density, Cortical Thickness and Material Properties on Human Rib Fracture Prediction, Medical Engineering & Physics 32(9): 998–1008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2010.06.015

Motozawa, Y.; Okamoto, M.; Mori, F. 2015. Comparison of whole body kinematics between fracture and non-fracture finite element human body models during side impact, in IRCOBI Conference Proceedings, 9–11 September 2015, Lyon, France, 634–647.

Murakami, D.; Kobayashi, S.; Torigaki, T.; Kent, R. 2006. Finite element analysis of hard and soft tissue contributions to thoracic response: sensitivity analysis of fluctuations in boundary conditions, SAE Technical Paper 2006-22-0008. https://doi.org/10.4271/2006-22-0008

Nahum, A. M.; Melvin, J. W. 2002. Accidental Injury: Biomechanics and Prevention. Springer. 637 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-21787-1

Nirula, R.; Pintar, F. A. 2008. Identification of vehicle components associated with severe thoracic injury in motor vehicle crashes: a CIREN and NASS analysis, Accident Analysis & Prevention 40(1): 137–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2007.04.013

Park, G.; Kim, T.; Crandall, J. R.; Arregui-Dalmases, C.; Luzon-Narro, J. 2013. Comparison of kinematics of GHBMC to PMHS on the side impact condition, in 2013 IRCOBI Conference Proceedings, 11–13 September 2013, Gothenburg, Sweden, 368–379.

Park, G.; Kim, T.; Panzer, M.B.; Crandall, J. R. 2016. Validation of shoulder response of human body finite-element model (GHBMC) under whole body lateral impact condition, Annals of Biomedical Engineering 44(8): 2558–2576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-015-1546-6

Poulard, D.; Subit, D.; Donlon, J.-P.; Kent, R. W. 2015. Development of a computational framework to adjust the pre-impact spine posture of a whole-body model based on cadaver tests data, Journal of Biomechanics 48(4): 636–643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.12.050

Poulard, D.; Subit, D.; Donlon, J.-P.; Lessley, D. J.; Kim, T.; Park, G.; Kent, R. W. 2014. The contribution of pre-impact spine posture on human body model response in whole-body side impact, SAE Technical Paper 2014-22-0014. https://doi.org/10.4271/2014-22-0014

Ruan, J.; El-Jawahri, R.; Chai, L.; Barbat, S.; Prasad, P. 2003. Prediction and analysis of human thoracic impact responses and injuries in cadaver impacts using a full human body finite element model, SAE Technical Paper 2003-22-0014. https://doi.org/10.4271/2003-22-0014

Shaw, G.; Parent, D.; Purtsezov, S.; Lessley, D.; Crandall, J.; Kent, R.; Guillemot, H.; Ridella, S. A.; Takhounts, E.; Martin, P. 2009. Impact response of restrained PMHS in frontal sled tests: skeletal deformation patterns under seat belt loading, SAE Technical Paper 2009-22-0001. https://doi.org/10.4271/2009-22-0001

Wang, F.; Yang, J.; Li, G. 2014. Finite element analysis of human rib fracture under various impact loading conditions, Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics 46(2): 300–307. (in Chinese).

Wang, F.; Yang, J.; Miller, K.; Li, G.; Joldes, G. R.; Doyle, B.; Wittek, A. 2016a. Numerical investigations of rib fracture failure models in different dynamic loading conditions, Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 19(5): 527–537. https://doi.org/10.1080/10255842.2015.1043905

Wang, F.; Yang, J.; Li, G.; Zhou, S.; Han, Y.; Li, F. 2016b. Numerical analysis of human thoracic injury responses in vehicle lateral and oblique crashes, Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (1): 225–234. (in Chinese).

Xiao, S.; Yang, J.; Forman, J.; Panzer, M.; Nie, B.; Crandall, J. 2015. A study on influence of seatbelt with and without force limiter to outcome of human body chest model in frontal impact test, in Proceedings of the 12th International Forum of Automotive Traffic Safety 2015, 4–5 December 2015, Xiamen, China, 329–333.

Xiao, S.; Yang, J.; Xiao, Z.; Crandall, J. R. 2017. Analysis of chest injury in frontal impact via finite element modelling based on biomechanical experiment, Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (1): 191–201. (in Chinese).

Yuen, K. F. 2009. The Development of a Numerical Human Body Model for the Analysis of Automotive Side Impact Lung Trauma. MSc Thesis. University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. 244 p. Available from Internet: https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/handle/10012/5005

Zhao, J.; Narwani, G. 2005. Development of a human body finite element model for restraint system R&D applications, in 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV), 6–9 June 2005, Washington, DC, US, 1–13.