Biomechanics

Rear impact dummies (RID) mimic the motion of the human spine in rear-end impacts. With hinges at each level of the vertebrae, the articulated spine of the BioRID-II directly measures the internal forces and moments on the human spine, pelvis, and femur that could not otherwise be tested on a live human at higher speeds for rear-end impacts.

The Hybrid III dummy meets the National Highway Transport and Safety Administration (NHTSA) federal motor vehicle safety standards for its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). It provides valid data to assess occupant injuries in humans when testing motor vehicle crashes and other practical applications.

Biomechanics and occupant injury potential can be assessed in motor vehicle accidents at low speeds (e.g. 5-10 mph). By examining occupant kinematics, applied forces, and injury mechanisms in low-speed, rear-end, lateral, sideswipe, and frontal motor vehicle accidents, biomechanical experts can determine whether the magnitude and direction at which forces were applied to the occupants make sense for the injuries claimed.

For motor vehicle accidents that occurred at higher speeds (e.g. above 10 mph), occupant kinematics, applied forces, and injury mechanisms can be used to assess the forces applied to the occupants in higher energy impacts such as airbag deployments and rollovers. The force of impact on the occupants is established at multiple levels through vehicular reconstruction to assess bodily injury.

Using Madymo and LS-DYNA®, the best occupant simulators available on the market, motor vehicle rollover analysis accurately determines occupant injury potential. It is the safest way to test the kinetics and kinematics acting on an occupant in a rollover motor vehicle accident.

Human ambulation analysis can be performed from video, motion capture, and measurement of the ground reaction force via a Kistler force plate. It can help determine whether a unique gait exists such that it can contribute to an accident and if a pedestrian favors one side during ambulation, thus increasing the amount of wear and tear on the adjacent extremity.

Slip, trip, and fall analysis is conducted for such premise liability cases. For slips, biomechanical experts measure the slip resistance of a surface walkway. For trips, they measure the vertical change in elevation to determine whether it is pursuant to code or against surface standards.

To assess occupant injury potential for a traumatic brain injury (TBI), biomechanical experts analyze both the linear and rotational acceleration and angular velocity at the head, as well as the sheer forces acting at the base of the skull and top of the cervical vertebral column, in crash testing.

Spinal trauma analysis evaluates the linear forces and bending moments applied to the spine to determine whether they exceed known tolerances. If the applied forces and moments exceed the strength of the intervertebral discs, then its nucleus can herniate and cause severe pain and a lack of muscular motion.

Thoracic trauma injury analysis assesses occupant injury potential of the thorax, which is typically less prone to injury due to the rigid support of the ribcage.

Upper and lower extremity injury analysis looks at the magnitude and direction of force applied to the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and feet in an accident. Occupant injury potential can be determined by testing whether the force applied to these extremities exceeds their known tolerances and compromises their structure.

Biomechanical experts can analyze the magnitude and direction at which force is applied to human subjects to determine injury potential for all types of human motion and impact dynamics, not just motor vehicle accidents. For example, cases may include, but are not limited to, pedestrian accidents such as slips, trips, and falls of both the subject themselves and objects onto the subject.