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Children recovering from cervical spine injuries may need a halo orthosis, which rarely fits into traditional child restraint systems (CRS) during motor vehicle travel. The objectives are to affix a halo orthosis to a 3-year-old anthropomorphic test device (ATD) and to explore the effectiveness of alternative safety restraints for these occupants. The head of the ATD was modified to allow proper insertion of halo pins. The ATD was restrained in either a backless booster or a RideSafer Travel Vest (RSTV) with and without the halo orthosis. The shoulder belt routing over the halo bars caused axial rotation of the occupant during frontal impacts, which increased lateral and torsional neck loads compared to tests without the halo. The halo decreased frontal neck shear and bending compared to tests without the halo. Loose fit between the halo vest and the torso of the ATD likely contributed to a concentration of loads in the cervical spine.

Thoracic injuries are frequently observed in motor vehicle crashes, and rib fractures are the most common of those injuries. Thoracic response targets have previously been developed from data obtained from post-mortem human subject (PMHS) tests in frontal loading conditions, most commonly of mid-size males. Traditional scaling methods are employed to identify differences in thoracic response for various demographic groups, but it is often unknown if these applications are appropriate, especially considering the limited number of tested PMHS from which those scaling factors originate. Therefore, the objective of this study was to establish a new scaling approach for generating age-, sex-, and body size-dependent thoracic responses utilizing structural properties of human ribs from direct testing of various demographics.

In the pediatric safety field the use of computer simulations to assess passenger kinematics is becoming more prevalent. However, there is a need for volunteer data to serve as a baseline for biomechanical responses to better appraise the biofidelity of these simulations. The objective of this study is to provide volunteer data of cervical spine strength and stiffness in 5-7 year old children. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to quantify strength and stiffness measurements. Twenty-three subjects with a mean age 5.9±0.7 participated. Children were stronger at mid-range of motion in both flexion and extension, and strongest in extension. Stiffness calculations for initial motions were higher for both flexion (0.277 Nm/°) and extension (0.227 Nm/°) than secondary motions (0.148 Nm/° and 0.095 Nm/°, respectively).

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, are part of a new and budding industry in the United States. Economic and public benefits associated with UAS use across multiple commercial sectors are driving new regulations which alter the stringent laws currently restricting UAS flights over people. As new regulations are enacted and more UAS populate the national airspace, there is a need to both understand and quantify the risk associated with UAS impacts with the uninvolved public. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanical response and injury outcomes of Post Mortem Human Surrogates (PMHS) subjected to UAS head impacts. For this work, PMHS were tested with differing UAS vehicles at multiple impact angles, locations and speeds. Using a custom designed launching device, UAS vehicles were accelerated into the frontal, parietal, or vertex portions of subjects’ craniums at speeds up to 22 m/s.

A blast buck (Accelerative Loading Fixture, or ALF) was developed for studying underbody blast events in a laboratory-like setting. It was designed to provide a high-magnitude, high-rate, vertical loading environment for cadaver and dummy testing. It consists of a platform with a reinforcing cage that supports adjustable-height rigid seats for two crew positions. The platform has a heavy frame with a deformable floor insert. Fourteen tests were conducted using fourteen PMHS (post mortem human surrogates) and the Hybrid III ATD (Anthropomorphic Test Device). Tests were conducted at two charge levels: enhanced and mild. The surrogates were tested with and without PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and in two different postures: nominal (knee angle of 90°) and obtuse (knee angle of 120°). The ALF reproduces damage in the PMHS commensurate with injuries experienced in theater, with the most common damage being to the pelvis and ankle.