GRADATION OF NECK MUSCLE RESPONSES AND HEAD/NECK KINEMATICS TO ACCELERATION AND SPEED CHANGE IN REAR-END COLLISIONS

The aim of this study was to investigate the gradation of neck muscle responses and the neck and head kinematics to rear-end collision pulses in which the speed change and acceleration were independently varied. Recent evidence of epidemiology indicates that the potential for whiplash injury changes with both the average speed change and acceleration of a rear-end collision. Fifteen male and fifteen female subjects were in 36 consecutive rear-end collisions involving three different speed changes and three different accelerations. Amplitude and onset of the cervical paraspinal (PARA) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles responses were measured using surface electromyography. Kinematic measures included angular and linear accelerations and displacements of the torso and head. The results demonstrated that the amplitude of the kinematics and muscle responses was graded to both speed change and collision acceleration. This measure of collision severity also agrees with the recent epidemiological evidence that whiplash duration and intensity of symptoms increases with both speed change and average acceleration.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1640206
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Siegmund, G P
  • Sanderson, D J
  • Inglis, J T
• Publication Date: 2004-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 419-430
• Serial:
  • Stapp Car Crash Journal
  • Volume: 48
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  • ISSN: 1532-8546
  • Serial URL: http://www.stapp.org/pubs.shtml

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Crash injuries; Crash injury research; Crash severity; Epidemiology; Females; Head; Human subject testing; Kinematics; Males; Muscles; Neck; Rear end crashes; Time duration; Traffic crashes; Whiplash
• Uncontrolled Terms: Speed change; Symptom intensity
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00988835
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0768014468
• Report/Paper Numbers: 2004-22-0018
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 19 2005 12:00AM