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Quantitative Validation of a Human Body Finite Element Model Using Rigid Body Impacts

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Abstract

Validation is a critical step in finite element model (FEM) development. This study focuses on the validation of the Global Human Body Models Consortium full body average male occupant FEM in five localized loading regimes—a chest impact, a shoulder impact, a thoracoabdominal impact, an abdominal impact, and a pelvic impact. Force and deflection outputs from the model were compared to experimental traces and corridors scaled to the 50th percentile male. Predicted fractures and injury severity measures were compared to evaluate the model’s injury prediction capabilities. The methods of ISO/TS 18571 were used to quantitatively assess the fit of model outputs to experimental force and deflection traces. The model produced peak chest, shoulder, thoracoabdominal, abdominal, and pelvis forces of 4.8, 3.3, 4.5, 5.1, and 13.0 kN compared to 4.3, 3.2, 4.0, 4.0, and 10.3 kN in the experiments, respectively. The model predicted rib and pelvic fractures related to Abbreviated Injury Scale scores within the ranges found experimentally all cases except the abdominal impact. ISO/TS 18571 scores for the impacts studied had a mean score of 0.73 with a range of 0.57–0.83. Well-validated FEMs are important tools used by engineers in advancing occupant safety.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Global Human Body Models Consortium, LLC for funding and support. Wake Forest University is the Integration Center of Expertise of the Global Human Body Models Consortium. The authors gratefully acknowledge the meshing and validation efforts by our academic partners in the GHBMC including King Yang and Liying Zhang (Wayne State U., USA), Duane Cronin (U. Waterloo, Canada), Richard Kent and Damien Subit (U. Virginia, USA), Philippe Beillas (IFSTARR, France), Warren Hardy (Virginia Tech, USA), Costin Untaroiu and Jeff Crandall (U. Virginia, USA), and Alan Eberhardt (U. Alabama Birmingham, USA). The abdominal impact deflection method was developed by Philippe Beillas. All simulations were run on the DEAC cluster at Wake Forest University, with support provided by Drs. Damian Valles and Timothy Miller.

Conflict of interest

Drs. Gayzik and Stitzel are members of Elemance, LLC., which is the sole licensor and distributor of academic and commercial licenses for use of the GHBMC, LLC.—owned M50 occupant model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 575 N. Patterson Avenue, Suite 120, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA

    Nicholas A. Vavalle, Matthew L. Davis, Joel D. Stitzel & F. Scott Gayzik

  2. Virginia Tech – Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics, 575 N. Patterson Avenue, Suite 120, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA

    Nicholas A. Vavalle, Matthew L. Davis, Joel D. Stitzel & F. Scott Gayzik

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  1. Nicholas A. Vavalle
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  2. Matthew L. Davis
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  4. F. Scott Gayzik
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Correspondence to F. Scott Gayzik.

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Associate Editor Stefan M Duma oversaw the review of this article.

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Vavalle, N.A., Davis, M.L., Stitzel, J.D. et al. Quantitative Validation of a Human Body Finite Element Model Using Rigid Body Impacts. Ann Biomed Eng 43, 2163–2174 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-015-1286-7

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