Biomechanical analysis of a fall: velocities at impact.

There are numerous research works focusing on falls of the elderly, proposing various technologies for its detection; however, few research works attempted to describe the mechanical phenomenon itself. In this study, we analyzed the kine(ma)tics of human falls with a simplified biomechanical model of human segments. We present some results based on data found in the literature and in our own laboratory experiments, to conclude that fall velocities at impact can reach values from 3.78 m.s-1 (center of mass) to 6.59 m.s-1 (head).