In the last two years, MADYMO has been used in litigation for scientific demonstrations and simulations of injury-causing events. Typical cases include the analysis of falls, pedestrian impacts, and the motions of restrained versus unrestrained occupants in automobile crashes. This paper describes a more unusual case. MADYMO was used to determine the mechanism of injury to a polo player when the horse suffered a heart attack and fell to the ground. The rider sustained closed head injuries. The motion of the rider during the fall was correlated with and validated by the sequence of photographs taken at the scene. The objective of the study was to determine force levels on the rider's head during and after body impact with the ground. The MADYMO simulation showed that the rider's injuries occurred when the head, without the helmet, struck the ground.
Abstract