Efficient 2D Neck Model for Simulation of the Whiplash Injury Mechanism

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Computational modeling
• Injury prevention

Background:

• Whiplash injuries are common after road collisions, often affecting the neck.
• Detecting and monitoring these injuries presents significant challenges.
• Existing models may lack computational efficiency for real-time analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computationally efficient model for simulating whiplash injury mechanisms.
• To create a planar multibody model (ENM-2D) with accurate occupant properties.
• To enable better understanding and prediction of head and neck injuries in collisions.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Efficient Neck Model-2D (ENM-2D) as a planar multibody system.
• Utilized a male occupant model's mass and inertia properties (50th percentile).
• Optimized joint parameters and validated against the TNO-Human Body Model (TNO-HBM) using RMS deviations.

Main Results:

• The ENM-2D model successfully simulated whiplash kinematics.
• Accurate determination of injury criteria for head and neck injuries was achieved.
• The model demonstrated an 8.3% deviation for head injury criteria and was 12.5x faster than the reference model.

Conclusions:

• The ENM-2D is a validated, computationally efficient tool for simulating whiplash injuries.
• This model aids in assessing injury risks and improving occupant safety.
• The speed and accuracy of ENM-2D offer advantages for research and development in automotive safety.