BIOMECHANICS OF INJURY IN LATERAL IMPACTS

Fourteen anesthetized swine were subjected to blunt lateral impact at velocities of 4.3, 6.7, or 8.2 m/s with a 15 cm flat pendulum weighing 23.4 kg accelerated to impact speed by a power-assisted pneumatic impactor. Injuries consisted of laceration of the liver and spleen resulting in severe hemoperitoneum and death by ventricular fibrilation and respiratory arrest in the highest severity impacts. Logit analysis of the biomechanical responses and serious or fatal injury indicated that the maximum Viscous response (VC) had the best correlation with injury risk. A tolerance level of VC = 0.89 m/s was determined for a 25 percent probability of serious injury. In contrast, maximum chest compression did not correlate with injury. The experiments indicate that internal organ and soft tissue injury may occur by a Viscous mechanism during the rapid phase of compression of the body. The Viscous response is an effective measure of injury risk in side impacts.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Viano, D C
  • Lau IV
  • Andrzejak, D V
• Publication Date: 1989-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 535-551
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Animals; Biophysics; Crash injury research; Crash tests; Crash victim simulation; Injuries; Laboratory animals; Logits; Speed; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lateral loads
• Old TRIS Terms: Viscous response
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00490943
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 701
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 31 1990 12:00AM