Title: Effect of muscle contraction in high-speed car-pedestrian impact: simulations for walking posture

Authors: Anurag Soni, Anoop Chawla, Sudipto Mukherjee, Rajesh Malhotra

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110016, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110016, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110016, India. ' Department of Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi 110016, India

Abstract: The effect of muscle contraction on lower extremity injuries for pedestrian walking posture in car-pedestrian lateral impact at 40 km/h is studied through FE simulations using the PMALE in the walking posture and front structures of a car. Impact on right (trailing) and left (leading) leg have been simulated as a cadaver and an unaware pedestrian with stretch based reflexes. It is concluded that with muscle contraction, risk of ligament failure decreases in lateral impacts and ligaments are differentially loaded due to impact at the two stance phases. Active muscles may not affect bone fracture in high speed car-pedestrian crashes.

Keywords: PMALE; lower extremity models; finite element method; FEM; modelling; dynamic simulation; muscle contraction; standing posture; walking posture; car-pedestrian impact; knee injury; lower extremity injuries; trailing leg; leading leg; ligament failure; lateral impact; active muscles; bone fracture; high speed crashes; high speed accidents; vehicle safety.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVS.2011.040130

International Journal of Vehicle Safety, 2011 Vol.5 No.2, pp.101 - 116

Published online: 15 Apr 2015 *

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