Biomechanical Response of Human Volunteers and Surrogates in a Variety of Loading Regimes

Unintentional injuries present a major threat to the health and welfare of humans. Over 120,000 deaths and over 30,000,000 non-fatal injuries are estimated annually in the United States. The leading causes of nonfatal injuries vary with age, but falls, motor vehicle collisions (occupants), and being struck by or against are among the top 4 leading causes of unintentional injury for all ages. The loading mechanism that cause forces to be transmitted to the body during these events can cause a wide assortment of injury types with a range of severities. Understanding the biomechanical response to loading in these environments can facilitate efforts in injury mitigation. Biomechanical responses can be quantified by performing controlled laboratory experiments with human volunteers and surrogates, such as anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) and post mortem human surrogates (PMHSs). The overall objective of this dissertation is to quantify the biomechanical response to loading regimes present in motor vehicle collisions, falls, and when being struck by or against an object using human volunteers and surrogates. Specifically, the research will achieve the following: quantify the dynamic responses of human volunteers, Hybrid III ATD, and PMHSs in low-speed frontal sled tests; quantify the neck response of human volunteers and PMHSs in low-speed frontal sled tests; quantify the kinetic and kinematic responses of PMHSs and the Hybrid III ATD in high-speed frontal sled tests; characterize thoracic loading as a result of same level falls using a Hybrid III ATD; and quantify the ability of children to swing sword-like toys and the human kinematic response that could be anticipated as a result of forceful impact using a Hybrid III 6-year old head and neck.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Biomedical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Beeman, Stephanie Marie

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Duma, Stefan M.
• Kemper, Andrew R.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Rowson, Steven
• Stitzel, Joel D.
• Gabler, Hampton Clay

• External Loading
• Human Response
• Muscle Bracing
• Volunteers
• ATD
• PMHS
• Falls
• Thoracic Loading
• Children
• Toy Swords
• Head Impact

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:7011

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/78305