The influence of seat back rake on ligament loadings in rear-end impact

摘要

A biomechanical finite element (FE) model of the 50th percentile male human cervical spine, capable of predicting ligament loadings in whiplash scenarios, has been developed and previously reported. The study reported here analyses the influence of seat back rake on ligament injury in two scenarios: firstly, the in position, where the car occupant is looking forward and the head remains in the sagittal plane, and, secondly, the out of position, where the car occupant is initially looking slightly to one side. In both cases the results show an increase in ligament loading with a decrease of seat back rotational stiffness, substantiating the need for dynamic seat testing. Moreover, comparing individual ligament loading data shows that the initial head rotation scenario is more damaging to the cervical spine than the sagittal plane scenario, confirming a published hypothesis.