Effect of Loading Rate on Injury Patterns During High Rate Vertical Acceleration

Military occupants can be exposed to more severe environments than civilian. High-rate vertical acceleration occurs under a variety of military activities and spinal injury distribution may be dependent upon acceleration characteristics. This preliminary investigation determined spinal fracture patterns in post-mortem human subject (PMHS) lumbar spines for two simulated environments: catapult phase of aviator ejection and helicopter crash. Vertical accelerations simulating ejections had peak magnitudes of 20-22 G with rates of onset less than 525 G/s. Accelerations simulating helicopter crashes had peak magnitudes of 44-65 G with rates of onset exceeding 1000 G/s in one specimen and exceeding 2000 G/s in two specimens. In this study, two lumbar spines were subjected to simulated ejections and three spines were subjected to simulated helicopter crashes. Results demonstrated fractures primarily affecting vertebral bodies and a majority occurring under axial compression mechanisms. Although fracture types were not different between environments (burst and anterior compression fractures occurred in each), injury location migrated caudally for higher severity accelerations. Whereas compression fractures affected the L1 spinal level for ejection accelerations, fractures were distributed between L1 and L4 levels for helicopter crash accelerations. More severe helicopter crash accelerations (>60 g, >2000 g/s) demonstrated injuries affecting L2-L4 levels. Results from this experimental study are validated by clinical reports of military personnel, wherein caudal injury locations were evident for higher severity accelerations such as helicopter crashes.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.ircobi.org/wordpress/downloads/irc12/default.htm
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/22353151
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of IRCOBI (International Research Council on the Biomechanics of Injury).
• Corporate Authors:

  International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury (IRCOBI)

  Winkelriedstrasse 27
  Zurich,   Switzerland  CH-8006
• Authors:
  • Stemper, Brian D
  • Baisden, Jamie L
  • Yoganandan, Narayan
  • Pintar, Frank A
  • DeRosia, John
  • Whitley, Phillip
  • Paskoff, Glenn R
  • Shender, Barry S
• Conference:
  • 2012 IRCOBI Conference
  • Location: Dublin , Ireland
  • Date: 2012-9-12 to 2012-9-14
• Publication Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 217-224
• Monograph Title: 2012 IRCOBI Conference Proceedings
• Serial:
  • IRCOBI Conference Proceedings
  • Publisher: International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury (IRCOBI)
  • ISSN: 2235-3151
  • Serial URL: http://www.ircobi.org/proceedings.php

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Air transportation crashes; Crash injuries; Ejection; Helicopters; Injury severity; Loads; Military aviation; Spinal column
• Uncontrolled Terms: Vertical acceleration
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01484727
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: IRC-12-29
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 24 2013 10:57AM