Abstract
In the real world crashes, brain injury is one of the leading causes of deaths. Using isolated human head finite element (FE) model to study the brain injury patterns and metrics has been a simplified methodology widely adopted, since it costs significantly lower computation resources than a whole human body model does. However, the degree of precision of this simplification remains questionable. This study compared these two kinds of methods: (1) using a whole human body model carried on the sled model and (2) using an isolated head model with prescribed head motions, to study the brain injury. The distribution of the von Mises stress (VMS), maximum principal strain (MPS), and cumulative strain damage measure (CSDM) was used to compare the two methods. The results showed that the VMS of brain mainly concentrated at the lower cerebrum and occipitotemporal region close to the cerebellum. The isolated head modelling strategy predicted higher levels of MPS and CSDM 5%, while the difference is small in CSDM 10% comparison. It suggests that isolated head model may not equivalently reflect the strain levels below the 10% compared to the whole human body model.
Highlights
The neck would transfer the load which comes from the body when using the whole Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS), while the brainstem, as one of the channels to transfer the load, would not work in the isolated head modelling strategy
The isolated head models get lower von Mises stress (VMS) and higher maximum principal strain (MPS) according to the results shown above
The following three specific conclusions can be drawn from the investigation of brain response simulations for head impacts using whole body human model and isolated head finite element (FE) models: (i) The maximum VMS of the isolated head models are 2.5 kPa and 1.4 kPa lower than those in the simulations using whole body model
Summary
The isolated head model extracted from the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) has been used to study brain injuries of football players [5]. This method is a feasible and high-efficient way to study the brain injury mechanism by replicating the head motions. If the second method is proved to be an equivalent alternative approach, the FE injury analysis and further restraint system optimization could be easier using this reasonable simplification. Otherwise, this simplification could only be treated as an approximation with limitations and should be employed with caution
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