Influence of bending pre-load on the tensile response of the lumbar spine.

Previous full body cadaver testing has shown that both obliquely oriented seats in survivable aircraft crashes and far-side oblique crashes in vehicles present distinctive occupant kinematics that are not yet well understood. Knowledge surrounding how these loading scenarios affect the lumbar spine is particularly lacking as there exists minimal research concerning oblique loading. The current study was created to evaluate a novel experimental method through comparison with existing literature, and to examine the impact of a static bending pre-load (posture) on the load-displacement response for the whole lumbar spine loaded in non-destructive axial distraction.

Occupant Injury and Response on Oblique-Facing Aircraft Seats: A Computational Study.

Increased interest in the airline industry to enhance occupant comfort and maximize seating density has prompted the design and installation of obliquely mounted seats in aircraft. Previous oblique whole-body sled tests demonstrated multiple failures, chiefly distraction-associated spinal injuries under oblique impacts. The present computational study was performed with the rationale to examine how oblique loading induces component level responses and associated injury occurrence.

Responses and Injuries to PMHS in Side-Facing and Oblique Seats in Horizontal Longitudinal Sled Tests per FAA Emergency Landing Conditions.

The objective of the present exploratory study is to understand occupant responses in oblique and side-facing seats in the aviation environment, which are increasingly installed in modern aircrafts. Sled tests were conducted using intact Post Mortem Human Surrogates (PMHS) seated in custom seats approximating standard aircraft geometry. End conditions were selected to represent candidate aviation seat and restraint configurations.

Injuries to Post Mortem Human Surrogates in Oblique Aircraft Seat Environment.

Increased interest in the airline industry to enhance occupant comfort and maximize seating density has prompted the design and installation of obliquely mounted seats in aircraft. The potential for injury and their mechanism in this seating environment is unknown. Epidemiology-based field injury data do not exist for airplane crashes, however, typical impact scenarios have been determined and safety standards addressing fore, aft, and side-facing seats have been levied by the FAA.

Investigation of the THOR Anthropomorphic Test Device for Predicting Occupant Injuries during Spacecraft Launch Aborts and Landing.

The objective of this study was to investigate new methods for predicting injury from expected spaceflight dynamic loads by leveraging a broader range of available information in injury biomechanics. Although all spacecraft designs were considered, the primary focus was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Orion capsule, as the authors have the most knowledge and experience related to this design. The team defined a list of critical injuries and selected the THOR anthropomorphic test device as the basis for new standards and requirements.

Pregnant occupant injury risk in severe frontal crashes using computer simulations.

Automobile crashes are the largest cause of death for pregnant females and the leading cause of traumatic fetal injury mortality in the United States. A previously validated MADYMO computer model of a 30-week pregnant occupant was used in this study to investigate the pregnant occupant response in a severe frontal motor vehicle crash. This study presents simulations of 26 different severe car crash tests, encompassing nine vehicle models that represent the compact, medium, and sport utility vehicle classes during the years 1996 to 2006.

Evaluation of pregnant female injury risk during everyday activities.

Exercise is encouraged for the pregnant female, but there are no data available indicating the risk of fetal loss associated with the level of exercise. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of fetal loss by simulating exercises using the pregnant computational model. A previously validated MADYMO computer model of a 30-week pregnant female has proven a useful tool in calculating the risk of adverse fetal outcome.

Analysis of pregnant occupant crash exposure and the potential effectiveness of four-point seatbelts in far side crashes.

The purpose of this paper is to present the crash exposure patterns of pregnant occupants and to evaluate the effectiveness of restraint systems, including four-point seatbelts, in far side crashes. The NASS CDS database revealed that 53.0 % of pregnant occupants are exposed to frontal crashes while 13.

Biomechanical modeling of pregnant occupants in far-side vehicle crashes.

Automobile crashes are the largest single cause of death for pregnant women and the leading cause of traumatic fetal injury mortality in the United States. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the risk of fetal injury in pregnant occupants exposed to far-side vehicle crashes. A test matrix of nine computer simulations was performed using a computational model of a 30-week pregnant occupant.

Evaluating pregnant occupant restraints: the effect of local uterine compression on the risk of fetal injury.

In order to develop effective restraint systems for the pregnant occupant, injury criteria for determining fetal injury risk must be developed. This study presents computer simulations of a 30 week pregnant occupant that illustrate the importance of local uterine compression on the risk of fetal injury. Frontal impact simulations with a range of velocities and belt positions were used to identify the best correlation between local uterine compression and peak strain measured at the uterine-placental interface.

Computational model of the pregnant occupant: predicting the risk of injury in automobile crashes.

Objective: The goal of this study was to create a computational model of the pregnant occupant of a motor vehicle to predict fetal outcome in crashes.

Study Design: A finite element uterine model of a 7-month pregnant woman was created and integrated into a multibody human model. Unrestrained, three-point belt, and three-point belt plus airbag tests were simulated at speeds that ranged from 13 to 55 km per hour.