This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Human Head-Neck Response During Low-Speed Rear End Impacts
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Event:
Stapp Car Crash Conference
Language:
English
Abstract
Neck injuries resulting from rear-end collisions rank among the top car safety problems and have serious implications for society. Many rear impact sled experiments with volunteers and PMHSs have been performed in the past. However, in most of these studies, T1 kinematics were not obtained so that the kinematic behavior of the neck could not be separated from the motion of the rest of the spine. Also, to the best knowledge of the authors, the effect of anthropometric parameters on the head-neck kinematics was not studied before.
The objective of this study is to describe the kinematic response of the head-neck system during low severity rear end impacts. In addition, the effect of anthropometric parameters such as height, weight and neck circumference was investigated. For this purpose, a total of 43 tests with 19 subjects was performed. Values for Δv ranged between 6.5 and 9.5 km/h. Linear accelerations of the head-CG and the first thoracic vertebra (T1) and angular accelerations of the head were obtained. Head angle and head-CG trajectories were obtained from film targets. Finally, head restraint impact forces were measured using a strain gauge attached to the support rods of the head restraint. Trajectories of the occipital condyles (OC trajectories) as well as upper neck forces and moments were calculated. All measured and calculated kinematic data were presented in response corridors representing the mean +/- one standard deviation. Although only three females participated in this study, a marked increase in head x-acceleration was observed for the females compared to the males. Also, neck circumference correlated well with peak head x-accelerations: a thinner neck resulted in higher values for the x-accelerations.
The results of this study can be used for evaluation of biofidelity of crash dummy necks, and for validation of mathematical head-neck models. Also, our finding that thinner necks result in higher head peak accelerations may be a partial answer to the question why women are at higher risk for whiplash injuries compared to men.
Recommended Content
Authors
Citation
van den Kroonenberg, A., Philippens, M., Cappon, H., Wismans, J. et al., "Human Head-Neck Response During Low-Speed Rear End Impacts," SAE Technical Paper 983158, 1998, https://doi.org/10.4271/983158.Also In
References
- Mertz, H.J. Patrick, L.M. Investigations of the Kinematics and Kinetics of Whiplash Proceedings 11th STAPP Car Crash Conference 1967 SAE Paper 670919
- Mertz, H.J. Patrick, L.M. Strength and Response og the Human Neck Proceedings 15th STAPP Car Crash Conference 1971 SAE Paper 710855
- Ono, K. Kanno, M. Influences of the physical Parameters on the risk to Neck Injuries in Low Impact Speed Rear-End Collisions Proceedings Int. IRCOBI Conference 201 212 1993
- Ono, K. Kaneoka, K. Motion analysis of human cervical vertebrae during low speed rear impacts by the simulated sled Proceedings Int. IRCOBI Conference 223 237 1997
- Ono, K. Kaneoka, K. Kajzer, J Wittek, A. Cervical Injury Mechanism Based on the Analysis of Human Cervical Vertebral Motion and Head-Neck-Torso Kinematics During Low Speed Rear Imapcts Proceedings of 41st STAPP Car Crash Conference 1997 Sae Paper 973340
- Siegmund, G.P. King, D.J. Lawrence, J.M. Wheeler, J.B. Brault, J.R. Smith, T.A. Head/Neck Kinematic response of Human Subjects in Low-Speed Rear-End Collisions Proceedings 41th SPAPP Car Crash Conference 1997 SAE Paper 973341
- Eilers P.H.C. “Smoothing with Matlab” Benelux MatLab Usersconference October 27 & 29 1997 Scientific Software Benelux P.O.Box 280, 2800 AG Gouda, The Netherlands
- Thunnissen J. Wismans, J. Ewing C.L. Thomas, D.J. Human Volunteer Head-Neck Response in Frontal Flexion: A new Analysis Proceedings 39th STAPP Car Crash Conference 1995 SAE paper 952721
- Wismans, J. Spenny, C. Head Neck Response in Frontal Flexion Proceedings of 28th STAPP Car Crash Conference 1984 SAE Paper 841666
- Ewing, C.L. Thomas, D.J. Torque vs. angular displacement response of human head to -Gx impact acceleration Proceedings of 17th STAPP Car Crash Conference 1973 SAE Paper 730976
- McConville, J.T. Churchill, T.D. Kaleps, I. Clauser, C.E. Cuzzi, J. Anthropometric relationships of body and body segment moments of inertia Report AFAMRL TR 8 199 Wright Patterson AFB 1980
- Temming J. Human Factors Data in Relation to Whiplash Injuries in Rear End Collisions of Passenger Cars 1997 SAE paper 981191