Abstract
As supplemental restraint system (airbag) use has increased, occasional rare injuries have occurred due to the force associated with these systems upon deployment, including forearm fractures. This study was conducted to determine the tolerance of the human forearm under a dynamic bending mode. 30 human cadaver forearm specimens were tested using 3-point bending protocol to failure at 3.3 m/s and 7.6 m/s velocities. Results indicated significantly (p<0.01) greater biomechanical parameters associated with males compared to females. The bending tolerance of the human forearm, however, was found to be most highly correlated to bone mineral density, bone area, and forearm mass. Thus, any occupant with lower bone mineral density and lower forearm geometry/mass is at higher risk. The mean failure bending moment for all specimens was 94 Nm. A smaller sized occupant with lower bone mineral density, however, has 1/2 of this tolerance (~45 Nm). The data contained in this study may be useful for design of injury-mitigating devices.
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