BIOMECHANICAL TOLERANCE OF CALCANEAL FRACTURES

In the past, biomechanical studies have been conducted to understand the mechanisms of injury to the foot-ankle complex. However, statistically-based tolerance criteria for calcaneal complex injuries are lacking. Consequently, this research was designed to derive a probability distribution that represents human calcaneal tolerance under impact loading such as those encountered in vehicular collisions. Information for deriving the distribution was obtained by experiments on unembalmed human cadaver lower extremities. The knee joint was disarticulated such that the lower extremity distal to the knee joint remained intact. The proximal tibia was fixed in polymethylmethacrylate. The specimens were aligned and impact loading was applied using mini-sled pendulum equipment. The pendulum impactor dynamically loaded the plantar aspect of the foot once. Following the test, specimens were palpated and radiographs in multiple planes were obtained. Injuries were classified into no fracture and extra- and intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus. There were 14 cases of no injury and 12 cases of calcaneal fracture. The fracture forces were significantly different from the forces in the no injury group. The probability of calcaneal fracture determined using logistic regression indicated that a force of 6.2 kN corresponds to 50% probability of calcaneal fracture. The derived probability distribution is useful in the design of dummies and vehicular surfaces.

• Corporate Authors:

  Assoc for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine

  2340 Des Plaines Avenue, Suite 106
  Des Plaines, IL  United States  60018
• Authors:
  • Yoganandan, Narayan
  • Pintar, Frank A
  • Gennarelli, T A
  • Seipel, R
  • Marks, R
• Conference:
  • Association for the Advancement of Auto Medicine Proceedings
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 345-356

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ankle; Biophysics; Cadavers; Crash injuries; Crash injury research; Crash victim simulation; Crashes; Distributions (Statistics); Dummies; Foot; Fractures (Anatomy); Impact loads; Injury causes; Lower extremities; Pendulum tests; Sled tests; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Calcaneal complex injuries
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00784209
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 16 2000 12:00AM