Impact Tolerance and Response of the Human Thorax

Chest deflection tolerance to blunt anterior loading is sensitive to age but not load distribution

“…The blunt hub loading condition involved cadavers with either a fixed or free back loaded by a 15.2-cm diameter circular hub at the approximate location of the fourth interstitial space. All but one of these tests were first described by Kroell et al [4,12], but the values used here were taken from Viano [6], who summarized the tests in a convenient form. One blunt hub test was performed by Kent et al [13] The seatbelt loading condition involved cadavers positioned supine on a flat loading table with a narrow belt passing diagonally over the anterior thorax [13][14][15].…”

“…The posterior displacement of the sternum relative to the spine is an established indicator of thoracic injury risk [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. This displacement, commonly referred to as chest deflection, is measured by contemporary frontal impact ATDs and a chest deflection limit is specified in U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) 208.…”

Development and validation of a thorax surrogate FE model for assessment of trauma due to high speed blunt impacts

“…Chen (1978), Wang (1995), Chang (2001), Forbes (2005), Cıhalová (2005), Song et al, 2011, Zhao & Narwani (2005, Campbell & Tannous (2008) and Shigeta et al, 2009 developed finite element models of the full human body with the internal organs. These FE models were validated with the human response corridors established by Kroell et al, (1971Kroell et al, ( , 1974; Nahum et al, (1973) and some other cadaver tests pertinent to the vehicular occupant in the crash scenarios. However, none of these ATDs (both physical and numerical models) and the full human body FE models were validated for the blunt ballistic impacts.…”

Injury biomechanics as a necessary tool in the field of forensic science: A pedestrian run-over case study

“…Kroell et al [7,8] performed a series of tests investigating the tolerance of human cadavers subjected to impacts to the chest by a blunt hubshaped impactor. From those tests, Viano [9] suggested that little thoracic injury occurred at chest compressions below 20% of the initial chest depth, but at chest compressions exceeding 40%, the ribcage failed entirely-causing direct loading and injury of the underlying organs.…”