Abstract:
Injuries to the lower extremity (LEX), particularly within the knee-thigh-hip (KTH) complex, account for over half of all occupant injuries sustained during automotive frontal crashes. A comprehensive understanding of the precise biomechanical injury mechanisms and thresholds for these injuries is crucial for enhancing occupant protection systems. This study addresses this vital need by developing a novel, high-fidelity finite element (FE) human model of the occupant lower extremity.
The biofidelic LEX FE model was meticulously constructed by reconstructing component surfaces from medical image data of a 50th percentile male volunteer in a sitting posture. The model employed hexahedral elements for meshing the majority of its deformable skeletal structures and soft tissues, ensuring a detailed anatomical representation. Appropriate constitutive material models, with parameters rigorously identified within the ranges of published experimental data, were assigned to each component, guaranteeing realistic biomechanical responses. To validate the model's predictive capabilities, eight distinct loading cases, encompassing various blunt impacts, were simulated. The model's predictions were extensively validated against the latest corresponding test data at both regional and global levels, confirming its biofidelity and accuracy in replicating the complex biomechanical behavior of the lower extremity under crash conditions. These advanced computational biomechanics tool provides invaluable insights into how forces are transmitted through the lower limb and how different components respond to impact. Ultimately, this research contributes significantly to the development of improved injury prevention strategies and more effective automotive safety designs.
