2020 Volume 66 Issue 6 Pages 507-511
Objectives: To examine the effects of (1) trunk constraint and (2) the entry angle on the cervical spine in response to a head-first impact.
Materials: The AM50 Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS ®) v4.02, pedestrian finite element model, was subjected to head-first impacts.
Methods: The impact speed was 3.2 m/s. The following patterns were simulated: entry angle (0°, 15° to the sagittal plane) and trunk constraint (constraint, unconstraint).
Results: As a result of head-first impact, the upper cervical spine was extended and the lower cervical spine was markedly flexed when the trunk was constrained. The mean stress applied to the cervical spine was significantly increased when the trunk was constrained, as indicated by the Mann-Whitney U test.
Conclusions: In a head-first impact, the mean stress on the cervical spine increases significantly when the trunk is constrained. In order to reduce the risk of cervical spine injuries, it is desirable not to bind with teammates before a head-first impact.
