Citation

Mizuno K, Iwata K, Namikiri T, Tanaka N. Int. J. Crashworthiness 2009; 14(2): 139-149.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13588260802614332

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In order to investigate injuries to various body regions of a child in detail, a child finite element (FE) model had been developed previously. In this study, a pelvis with a child anatomical structure was newly developed and incorporated into the existing model. In examining a method for modelling the pelvis, it was shown that the anatomical structures of a child should be represented in order to evaluate stress distributions. This updated child FE model was exercised using sled test simulations with various child restraint systems (CRS), such as a 5-point harness, an impact shield and a safety vest. The FE analyses were also conducted using a Hybrid III 3-year-old (3YO) FE model. The main differences between the kinematic behaviour of the Hybrid III 3YO and child FE models were due to the flexibility of the thoracic spine in the child FE model. In analyses with the 5-point harness and the impact shield CRS, the predicted injury measures were comparable between the two models; whereas in the safety vest the injury measure predictions were noticeably different. It was demonstrated that the child FE model is useful to examine the behaviour, local deformation and stress distributions of a child during impacts, which could be difficult to predict using the Hybrid III 3YO FE model.