BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF SOFT TISSUE NECK INJURY DURING PEDESTRIAN FALL

摘要

Pedestrians sustain serious injuries when impacted by vehicles. Various biomechanical studies have focused on pedestrian injuries due to direct contact with the vehicle and environment Similar studies on the injuries to the pedestrian due to indirect force such as inertial load are limited. One of the most susceptible regions of the human body to inertial loading is the neck component (cervical spine). The cervical spine connects the head and upper torso, and provides mobility to the head. Direct loading to the head and/or upper torso subjects the cervical spine to indirect loading. For example, in a pedestrian lateral fall on the shoulder, the cervical spine flexes laterally due to inertial loading from the head and upper torso, and may injure its soft tissue components. The purpose of this study is to delineate the biomechanics of the soft tissue neck injury during the pedestrian lateral fall due to vehicular impact using the anthropometric test device.