The objective of this research was to further elucidate the biomechanical etiology of pelvis fracture under simulated automotive side impact conditions. The finite element (FE) method was used to evaluate pelvis fracture tolerance through a series of parametric tests. The aim is to determine the effect of both force magnitude and duration of application. The results of FE analyses were compared to previous experimental cadaveric test data under the same load conditions. The hemi-pelvis FE model used was a modified version of an earlier model, consisting of 2199 elements and 3161 nodes. Dynamic loading was applied as a linear ramp through the angle of the greater trochanter to the acetabulum. Dynamic analysis of the model was performed by conducting a validation study (phase 1) and parametric studies (phase 2). Parametric dynamic analyses of the model were performed using the first 150 ms of the force-time history. It is concluded that acetabular fracture of an isolated hemi-pelvis may be predicted using the FE method. An increase in rise time for a constant peak load will increase the likelihood for isolated acetabular fracture. An increase in peak load for a constant rise time will increase the likelihood for pubic rami fracture.
Abstract