Head and neck response to axial impacts.

Two series of impacts to the head in the superior-inferior direction using 19 unembalmed cadavers are reported. The first series of five tests was aimed at generating kinematic and dynamic response to sub-injurious impacts for the purpose of defining the mechanical characteristics of the undamaged head-neck-spine system in the S-I direction. The second series of fourteen tests was intended to define injury tolerance levels for a selcted subject configuration.