Dynamic Characteristics of Human Leg Joints

In a typical car crash the occupant's feet are braced and the body inertia forces the torso toward the feet. In the current study the test apparatus utilized a fixed torso, but the toeboard moved rapidly toward the test subject to simulate leg flexure. A detailed two-dimensional force measuring system permitted computation of forces and torques at the leg joints.

Static and dynamic values of force and torque are presented as a function of the joint angle. The results are generally uniform with many of the curves assuming a parabolic shape. Peak dynamic values were twice the level of the static counterparts.