Finite element model for simulation of muscle effects on kinematic responses of cervical spine in low-SpeedRear-end impacts

摘要

The mechanisms of whiplash injury have been generally considered to involve cervical hyperextension/hyperflexion and translational displacement of the head in relation to the torso (Mertz and Patrick, 1967). On the other hand, several authors have recently hypothesized the mechanisms of whiplash injury that can occur within the physiological range of neck motion (Ono et al., 1998). However, most mathematical models for investigation of the dynamic responses of the neck have been focused on representations of the general kinematics of the head-neck complex. Thus, their biofidelity has been mainly evaluated in terms of their ability to predict the time histories and peak values of the head angular and translational displacements and accelerations, e.g., de Jager (1996). They have not been validated against motions of the cervical vertebrae. Thus, it is not clear to what extent they can be applied in understanding the mechanics of injuries within the physiological range of neck motion.