Abstract
ObjectiveNon-fatal tibia and ankle injuries without proper protection from the restraint system has gotten wide attention from researchers. This study aimed to investigate occupant tibia and ankle injuries under realistic frontal impact environment that is rarely considered in previous experimental and simulant studies.MethodsAn integrated occupant-vehicle model was established by coupling an isolated car cab model and a hybrid occupant model with a biofidelic pelvis-lower limb model, while its loading conditions were extracted from the realistic full-frontal impact test. A parametric study was implemented concerning instrument panel (IP) design and pedal intrusion/rotation parameters.ResultsThe significant influences of the IP angle, pedal intrusion and pedal rotation on tibia axial force, tibia bending moment and ankle dorsiflexion angle are noted. By coupling their effects, a new evaluation index named CAIEI (Combined Ankle Injury Evaluation Index) is established to evaluate ankle injury (including tibia fractures in ankle region) risk and severity in robustness.ConclusionsOverall results and analysis indicate that ankle dorsiflexion angle should be considered when judging the injury in lower limb under frontal impact. Meanwhile, the current index with coupling effects of tibia axial force, bending moment and ankle dorsiflexion angle is in a good correlation with the simulation injury outcomes.
Highlights
The number of fatal injury cases has been dramatically reduced in recent decades, the lower limb injury severity is still at a high level
Overall results and analysis indicate that ankle dorsiflexion angle should be considered when judging the injury in lower limb under frontal impact
The current index with coupling effects of tibia axial force, bending moment and ankle dorsiflexion angle is in a good correlation with the simulation injury outcomes
Summary
The number of fatal injury cases has been dramatically reduced in recent decades, the lower limb injury severity is still at a high level. Annual incident analysis report [1] showed that lower limb injuries accounted for 32% of AIS 2+ injuries in 2010. Seatbelts and safety airbags cannot effectively reduce the risk of lower limb injuries, which was different from its effective protection for other fatal injuries related to head or chest [2,3]. Rudd [6] indicated that occupants accounted for 82.5% of lower limb injuries according to accidental statistical analysis in the United States from 1994 to 2007. Otte [7] showed that 42% of lower limb injuries occurred in foot/ankle regions in frontal collisions. Occupant lower limb kinematics in frontal crashes is complicated and the mechanisms related to ankle and tibia are still controversial regarding to real impact environments [6, 9]
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