In the biomechanical analysis of injury causation, a "one size fits all" approach is often adopted, which usually fails to consider individual-specific (age, sex, preexisting conditions, etc.) and incident- specific (force/time history, occupant positioning, seat geometry, etc.) information. A "hard threshold" approach is also frequently adopted (often simultaneously with the "one size fits all"). Here, injury thresholds are presented as "hard" values, with 0% injury probability assigned to any scenario less than the stated threshold. In both approaches, literature data is often misapplied, reflecting a lack of understanding of the measurement protocols and the appropriateness of data extrapolation to specific injury situations. An examination of individual data for the following three areas clearly illustrates the wide variability in biomechanical data: (1) spinal ligaments (tensile strength); (2) lumbar intervertebral discs (compressive strength); and (3) data related to the head injury criterion (HIC). A more appropriate approach is to adopt a statistical "probability" approach which considers the specific conditions of both the individual and the injury event in light of a broader understanding of the applicability of biomechanical experimental data. A more comprehensive defendable approach to the biomechanical analysis of injury situations is proposed in the study presented in this scientific poster.
Samenvatting