Evaluation of Thoracic Injury Criteria for THUMS Finite Element Human Body Model Using Real-World Crash Data

Paper in proceeding, 2014

This study aims to compare the thoracic injury risk predicted by a modified THUMS with the risks predicted by an injury risk curve constructed based on real-world data. Since the injury risk curves for the modified THUMS were developed from reconstruction of post-mortem human subjects tests, it is of interest to investigate their performance in real-world crashes. For this purpose, an AIS2+ injury risk curve was constructed based on selected and representative frontal car crashes from the Volvo Cars' Traffic Statistical Accident Database. Six simulations with three different crash severities and two acceleration pulses for each severity were performed with THUMS in a detailed and representative interior vehicle model. The injury criteria Dmax, DcTHOR, shear stress and first principal strain in the ribs were computed with the modified THUMS and the risks were obtained from its previously developed injury risk curves. These risks were then compared to the risk from the real-world data. All four THUMS criteria predict higher risk compared to the risk predicted by the real-world injury risk curve. The risk estimated with Dmax was closest to the risk estimated by the injury risk curve based on real-world data.