Comparison of Cadaver and Hybrid III Dummy Response to Axial Impacts of the Femur

Axial impacts were performed on the right and left femurs of nine unembalmed human cadavers. Similar impacts were performed on the femurs of a Hybrid in dummy. The cadaver subjects had a femur load cell implanted in the right femur to measure internal axial force. Injuries in the right and left knee-thigh-hip complex of each human subject were similar indicating that the load cell did not affect the structural response. Comparisons were made between cadaver and dummy applied and internal force and applied and internal impulse. Results indicated that the dummy was much stiffer than the cadaver and produced much higher applied and internal forces. The applied and internal impulses of the cadavers and the dummy were similar and the dummy impulse appears to be a promising indicator of injury in cadavers.