A MODEL SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF LEG INJURIES SEEN IN CAR-PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS. A HUMAN LEG SPECIMEN OR A MECHANICAL LEG AND KNEE MODEL IS LOADED WITH A CONCENTRATED BODY MASS, BALANCED ON AN INSTRUMENTED PLATFORM AND IMPACTED BY A BUMPER AND SIMULATED CAR FRONT MOUNTED ON A TEST CART. THE REACTION FORCES IN THE LEG AND KNEE ARE ANALYZED AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MINIMIZING THESE FORCES BY VARYING THE BUMPER LEVEL AND THE IMPACTING SURFACE DEVICE ARE ILLUSTRATED. A COMPARISON IS MADE BETWEEN THE FORCES AND DEFORMATIONS RECORDED IN THE MECHANICAL MODEL AND THE INJURIES RECORDED IN THE BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. BASED ON THESE DATA THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENT BUMPER LEVELS AND TYPES FOR LOWER LEG AND KNEE INJURIES SEEN IN REAL CAR-PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS IS DISCUSSED. (A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF SECTION 5 SEE IRRD 266063. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 266046.
Samenvatting