Study of Impact Tolerance Through Free-Fall Investigations. Final Report
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STUDY OF IMPACT TOLERANCE THROUGH FREE-FALL INVESTIGATIONS FINAL REPORT Richard G. Snyder David R. Foust Bruce M. Bowman December 15, 1977 Prepared for Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Washington, D.C. Highway Safety Research Institute The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan I. Rwrc Me. 1 2. C..nmamt Acceaaiom He. I 3. Rec~~~rnt'rCecalog No. L I 4. Title and Subtitla 5. R rt Date Study of Impact To1 erance Through 1T~ecember 1977 Free-Fa1 1 Investigations 6. Pufamiq Orgonirolion Coda 8. Pwbminp Orwiz#ion Report No. 7. Auhor'n) Snyder, R.G., D.R. Foust, and B.M. Bowman UM-HSRI-77-8 10. WorC Unit No. Highway Safety Research Institute DRDA-77- 1587-B1 The University of Michigan 11. Contract or Gtont No. Ann Arbor, Michipan 48109 6604 Final Report Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 15 May 1975-15 Dec. 1977 Washinqton. D.C. 14. bnawing Agency Code I IHS I'd. Abatract This study has combined techniques of detailed investigation of se- lected human free-fall impacts and computer simulation of representative fa1 1s in order to expand knowledge of human impact tolerance. Of 2100 fa1 1s occurring in the U.S. and Canada, 110 cases were selected for on-site in- vestigation of biomedical and biophysical factors. Seven head-first, two side-first, and three feet-first falls were then simulated using the MVMA 2-D Crash Victim Simulator. Children were generally injured less severely I than adults under similar fall circumstances, and tended to land on their heads a greater proportion of the time. It was found that survival 1 imits for children may be higher than previously be1 ieved. Body position at im- pact was a major factor in resulting injuries. In falls to rigid surfaces certain types of injury can be predicted on the basis of age and fall dis- tance. For children under age 8 it is concluded that a constant acceleration of up to 350 G for 2.5-3 msec approaches the survival limit for head impacts. For children younger than 18 months the minimum limit tolerance level for reversible head injury may be reached when fall distance is somewhat greater than four feet. 18. Dinnibuc~mSia.n.nt aifrec htrjicy 1 Ssa] i na a ema ica Mo e in. Side Impact Un 1i mi ted ??erio Head Impact cce e ation PE$?-B~rsl Fmpact 19. hdtyCImaalf. (of this I-*) Unclassified Unclassified TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .......................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ........................................... xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................... xiii CHAPTERS 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ........................ 1 A . Purpose and Scope ............................... 1 B . Use of Human Free-Fall Data for Determining Impact Tolerance ................... 2 C . Background ..................................... 6 D . Objectives ..................................... 9 2 . STUDY METHODOLOGY .............................. 11 A . Selection of Cases for Investigation ........... 11 1. Sources of Potential Cases ................. 11 2 . Selection Criteria for Case Investigation ............................ 12 B . Case Investigation Methods ..................... 14 1. Subject Interview .......................... 15 2 . Measurements at the Site................... 15 3 . Medical Information .................*...... 16 4 . Other Methods .............................. 17 5 . Case Reporting and Follow-up ............... 17 C . General Analysis of Data from Clippings and Field Investigations ....................... 17 1. Preparation of Punched Cards ............... 17 2 . Analysis from Punched Cards ................ 18 D . Simulations of Free-Falls ...................... 20 1. General Features of the MVMA 2-D Model ................................ 20 2 . Simulations of Free-Falls of Instrumented Dummies ..................... 23 Test Procedures .......................... 23 Simulations and Comparison of Results ............................... 26 3 . Simulation of Free-Falls of Humans ......... 32 Development of Physical and Material Properties ...................... 33 Selection of Simulation Data for Analysis ........................ 34 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT'D) PAGE 3. RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS ............................ 37 A . Introduction ..................................... 37 1. Chapter Organization ......................... 37 2 . Overview of Investigated Cases ............... 38 B . General Results .................................. 38 1. Sampling Biases .............................. 38 2 . Data Bases and Age Distributions ............. 40 3 Analysis of General Characteristics . 4 6 of Falls................................... a . Newspaper Clippings ...................... 46 b. Investigated Cases ....................... 52 C . Injury Results of a General Nature ............... 54 1. Injury Information from Clippings ............ 54 2 . General Injury Results from Investigated Cases ......................... 58 3 . Prediction of Injury Severity................ 61 D . Detailed Injury Results and Analysis ............. 74 1. Introduction ................................ 74 2 . Head Impact Results and Analysis ............. 77 a . Investigated Cases ....................... 77 b . Results of Simulated Head Impacts ........ 84 c . Analysis of Head-Impact Simulation Results ................................ 89 d . Age Factor and Impact Surface Effects ................................ 102 3 . Impacts to Body Parts Other than the Head ................................... 104 a . Investigated Cases ....................... 104 b . Simulations of Feet-First Impacts ........ 112 c . Simulation of Side-First Impacts ......... 116 d . Chest Responses .......................... 118 E . General Discussion ............................... 119 4 . SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .............................. 125 REFERENCES CITED .......................................... 131 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT'D) PAGE APPENDIX A . SUPQIARIES OF INDIVIDUAL CASES ................ A-1 APPENDIX B . COMPUTER SIMULATION OF HUMAN FREE FALLS ...... B-1 A . Fall Conditions ................................ B-3 B . The Body Linkage ............................... B-4 1 . The Model .................................. B-4 2 . Link Data Requirements ..................... B-6 3 . Torso Link Data ............................ B-7 4 . Neck Link Data ............................. B-7 5 . Location of Occipital Condyles ............. B-11 C . Relation of Body Parameters to Body E.lass....... B-11 D . Joint Properties ............................... B-14 . Masses and Moments of Inertia .................. B-15 1 . Link Data .................................. 2 . Head Data .................................. F . The Body Profile ............................... 1 . Head Ellipse ............................... 2 . Chest Ellipse .............................. 3 . Hip Ellipse ................................ 4 . Knee Ellipse ............................... 5 . Foot Ellipse ............................... G . Material Properties ............................ 1 . Head Properties: Adults ................... 2 . Head Properties: Children ................. 3 . Chest Properties ........................... 4 . Hip Properties ............................. 5 . Knee-Femur Properties ...................... 6 . Foot Properties ............................ I1 . Palls Onto Soil ................................ B-36 LIST OF REFERENCES FOR APPENDIX B .................. B-40 APPENDIX C .MEDICAL RECORDS RELEASE FORMS ................. C-1 APPENDIX D .I-IEAD EFFECTIVE MASS ........................... 0-1 vii LIST OF FIGURES FIG. NO. PAGE MVMA 2-D Model Representation of Anthropo- morphic Dummy, Crouched-Position Fall. ..........., 22 2. Dummy Configurations for Free-Fall Drop Tests........................................ 24 Comparison of Prone Dummy Fall and Model Prediction....... ........................... 28 Comparison of Feet-First Dummy Fall and Model Prediction .................................. 30 Distribution by Month of 2134 Individual Falls in the Period 1 Aug 75 through 31 Ju1 76......................................... 42 6. Distribution of Falls by Age and Sex............,... 44 7. Distribution of Investigated Cases by Age and Sex.................................... 47 8. Fatalities Reported for Different Age Groups...... .. 56 Relationship Between Impact Velocity and Injury Severity............................... 63 10. Relationship Between Impact Velocity and Injury Codes. ..................................... 66,67 11. Relationship Between Momentum Change and Injury Codes. ..................................... 68,69 Relationship Between Kinetic Energy at Impact and Injury Codes .................................. 70,71 Relationship Between Energy of Head "Effective Mass" and Head Injury .................. 75 Head Acceleration and Deflection Responses as a Function of Impact Velocity ........ 88 15. Simulated Head Impacts Compared with Other Impact Experience ........................... 91 16. General Shape of Curve for Predicting AIS........... 95 17. Peak and 3-Msec Average Head Accelerations as Indicators of Head Injury...................... 95 18. HIC as an Indicator of Head Injury.................. 97 '-. 31.' FIGURES (CONT'D) i. .:. NO. &;! . "' !.', .. - - .. - . - 1- , . Rate of Onset of Peak Acce1eratlo:-, ds an Indicator of Head Injury ............... , ., Energy Absorbed per Unit of Head VoLLirfie ab an Indicator of Head Injury ............ Occupant Injury Classification Codes..,, Articulated Body Schematic .............. rr L -qnthrcpometric Dimensions ............. Head