Citation

Soni A, Chawla A, Mukherjee S, Malhotra R. Int. J. Crashworthiness 2009; 14(4): 339-348.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13588260902775033

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of muscle contraction on lower extremity injuries in car-pedestrian lateral impact. A full-body pedestrian model with active muscles has been developed. Finite element simulations have then been performed using the full-body model and front structure of a car. Two pre-impact conditions, that of a symmetrically standing pedestrian, representing a cadaver and an unaware pedestrian, have been simulated. Stretch-based reflexive action was included in the simulations for an unaware pedestrian. The results show that due to muscle contraction (1) peak strain in all the knee ligaments reduces, (2) von Mises stresses in tibia and fibula increase and may fail and (3) knee joint effective stiffness increases by 58% in lateral bending.