Authors: Karthik Somasundaram, Narayan Yoganandan, Klaus Driesslein, Frank A. Pintar—Medical College of Wisconsin; Rachel Richardson, Dan Parent—National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract
This study aimed to develop injury tolerance metrics for iliac bone fractures resulting from lap belt loading in frontal impact scenarios. We conducted 27 whole-body postmortem human subject (PMHS) sled tests with female specimens under various boundary conditions, including two crash pulses (32 kph and 50 kph), two seatback angles (22° and 45°), and three seat types (stiffer seat, soft seat, and stiffer seat with knee bolster). Out of 27 tests, 13 had pelvic fracture, in which 9 showed at least one iliac wing fracture, predominantly in the left or outboard position. Using Weibull distribution for survival analysis, we developed Pelvis Injury Risk Curves (PV-IRCs) for the small female cohort (N=18) and all-female cohort (N=27). At a 50% probability level, the mean lap belt force values were estimated at 5.5 kN for the small female and 6.2 kN for the all-female. These preliminary findings provide insights into injury tolerance of iliac bone for female occupant.
Type: Short Communication