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A Lower Limb-Pelvis Finite Element Model with 3D Active Muscles
Fuhao Mo1, Fan Li2, Michel Behr3
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacture for Vehicle Body, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China. fuhaomo@hnu.edu.cn.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
|October 18, 2017
Summary
This study developed a detailed lower limb-pelvis finite element model with active muscles to analyze human biomechanics. The model accurately simulates emergency braking impacts, revealing muscle force effects on driver injuries.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human body modeling
- Finite element analysis
Background:
- Developing accurate human body models is crucial for understanding injury mechanisms.
- Existing models often lack detailed active muscle representation.
- Finite element (FE) models require validation against experimental data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a validated three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the lower limb-pelvis with active muscles.
- To investigate the biomechanical responses and injury mechanisms during driver's emergency braking.
- To analyze the influence of active muscle forces on the human body during frontal crashes.
Main Methods:
- Reconstructed model geometry from a 50th percentile Chinese male anthropometry.
- Modeled muscles using truss and hexahedral elements for passive and active properties.
- Validated model properties against Post-Mortem Human Surrogate (PMHS) and volunteer experiments.
Main Results:
- Simulated driver's emergency braking in frontal crashes.
- Investigated Knee-Thigh-Hip (KTH) injury mechanisms and tolerances.
- Observed significant variance in femur force and bending moment due to active muscle forces.
Conclusions:
- The developed lower limb-pelvis FE model with active muscles is a valuable tool for biomechanical analysis.
- The model can reduce the need for expensive and complex physical tests.
- It supports the design of protective devices and further research in injury biomechanics.
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