Lower Neck Injury Assessment Risk Curves Based on Matched-Pair Human Data for Anthropomorphic Test Devices

Under G +x accelerative loading, the Hybrid III anthropomorphic test device (ATD) is used to advance human safety. Although injury assessment risk curves (IARCs) are available at the level of the occipital condyles (commonly termed as upper neck), they do not exist for the cervical-thoracic junction (lower neck). The objectives of this study are to develop IARCs under G +x impact accelerations for the Hybrid III ATD and test device for human occupant restraint (THOR) ATD at the cervical thoracic junction.

A series of Hybrid III ATD tests were conducted using input conditions that matched previously published cadaver tests. A separate series of THOR-ATD tests were conducted using the same input conditions that matched the same previously published cadaver tests. This type of experimental design where the cadaver input condition is the same as the ATD tests are termed matched-pair tests (Cadaver-Hybrid III and Cadaver-THOR-ATD). Injury outcomes from human cadaver tests were used with loads at the cervical thoracic junction, measured in the ATD tests. Data were censored based on injury outcomes and the number of tests conducted on each specimen. Parametric survival analysis was used to derive IARCs for cervical thoracic junction force-, moment-, and interaction-based lower neck injury criterion (LNic).

Injuries were scored according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale scheme. Abbreviated Injury Scale 1 or 2 was scored as injured. The 50% risk levels for the Hybrid III ATD were 315 N, 70 Nm, and 1.12 for the cervical thoracic A/P shear force-, sagittal plane extension moment-, and LNic-based injury criterion, respectively. Results for the THOR ATD were 261 N, 69 Nm, and 1.51.

This is the first study to develop cervical thoracic junction IARCs for the ATDs based on force, moment, and LNic for posterior to anterior loading.