Human lumbar spine injury risk in dynamic combined compression and flexion loading

TL;DR

This study developed a lumbar spine injury risk model based on compression and flexion forces, incorporating specimen geometry and age, to better predict injury risk in vehicle crashes with relaxed postures.

Contribution

The paper introduces a mechanics-based injury risk function that combines compression force and flexion moment, normalized to geometry, with age as a covariate, enhancing injury prediction accuracy.

Findings

Normalized compression force has a greater impact on injury risk.

Increased force reduces the flexion moment needed for injury.

The model can improve occupant safety assessments.

Abstract

Anticipating changes to vehicle interiors with future automated driving systems, the automobile industry recently has focused attention on crash response in relaxed postures with increased seatback recline. Prior research found that this posture may result in greater risk of lumbar spine injury in the event of a frontal crash. This study developed a lumbar spine injury risk function that estimated injury risk as a function of simultaneously applied compression force and flexion moment. Force and moment failure data from 40 compression-flexion tests were utilized in a Weibull survival model, including appropriate data censoring. A mechanics-based injury metric was formulated, where lumbar spine compression force and flexion moment were normalized to specimen geometry. Subject age was incorporated as a covariate to further improve model fit. A weighting factor was included to adjust the influence of force and moment, and parameter optimization yielded a value of 0.11. Thus, the normalized compression force component had a greater effect on injury risk than the normalized flexion moment component. Additionally, as force was nominally increased, less moment was required to produce injury for a given age and specimen geometry. The resulting injury risk function can be utilized to improve occupant safety in the field.