Evaluation of Skeletal Impacts of Human Cadavers

Abstract

In the study of the effect of impact on the human body at injury-producing levels it has been necessary to use models because of the danger of severe and serious damage to living volunteers. Since accurate information regarding the response of the human body to injury-producing impacts is negligible, it is apparent that available anthropometric dummies are of no value in such investigations. Because of the very significant differences between impact responses in animals and in humans it is difficult to justify the extrapolation of responses in impact experiments with live animals to similar responses in humans. This leaves the human cadaver as the only reasonably good model available for such experimental work, results of which can only be evaluated in terms of the behavior of the skeletal system. But even with this list of available results, embalming and the presence of dead tissue instead of living tissue would be expected to have some effect on the response obtained to a specific impact.

This research was supported by U.S. Public Health Grant No. AC-00054–06, Division of Accident Prevention.

Deceased.