Citation

Heath DR, Silvestri C, Ray MH. Transp. Res. Rec. 2012; 2281: 69-75.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/2281-09

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Recent improvements to occupant restraint systems, such as seat belts and airbags, have caused a shift in the injury profile that results from vehicle collisions from primarily upper body to primarily lower extremity injuries. Injuries of the knee-thigh-hip (KTH) region have been shown to be some of the most debilitating. This project used a finite element model of the KTH region to study injury. A parametric investigation was conducted; the finite element KTH was simulated as a vehicle occupant positioned to a range of precrash driving postures. Results indicated that timing between a significant rise in foot-floor and knee-bolster contact force affected knee kinematics and axial force absorbed by the KTH region. Findings also suggest that introducing a lag time between the respective contacts may decrease the likelihood of KTH bone injury.