The objective of this thesis is to develop a detailed three-dimensional (3D) mathematical model describing the dynamic behaviour of the human head and neck in accident situations without head contact. Firstly, a relatively simple model (the global model) with few anatomical details was developed. Secondly, detailed segment models of the upper and lower cervical spine were developed as an intermediate step. Finally, the detailed head-neck model was formed by joining the segment models and adding muscle elements.The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Active muscle behaviour is essential to accurately describe the human-neck response to impacts; (2) The global model is a computationally efficient model and, therefore, especially suited for car safety improvement and dummy neck development; and (3) the detailed model is suitable for studying neck injury mechanisms and neck injury criteria, since it reveals the loads and deformations of individual tissues of the neck. Recommendations are given for additional experiments, model enhancements, and further validation. (A)
Samenvatting