A validated numerical model of a lower limb surrogate to investigate injuries caused by under-vehicle explosions
File(s)Newell-Manuscript_acceptedforpublication.docx (77.94 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Newell, N
Salzar, R
Bull, AMJ
Masouros, SD
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Under-vehicle explosions often result in injury of occupants׳ lower extremities. The majority of these injuries are associated with poor outcomes. The protective ability of vehicles against explosions is assessed with Anthropometric Test Devices (ATDs) such as the MIL-Lx, which is designed to behave in a similar way to the human lower extremity when subjected to axial loading. It incorporates tibia load cells, the response of which can provide an indication of the risk of injury to the lower extremity through the use of injury risk curves developed from cadaveric experiments. In this study an axisymmetric finite element model of the MIL-Lx with a combat boot was developed and validated. Model geometry was obtained from measurements taken using digital callipers and rulers from the MIL-Lx, and using CT images for the combat boot. Appropriate experimental methods were used to obtain material properties. These included dynamic, uniaxial compression tests, quasi-static stress-relaxation tests and 3 point bending tests. The model was validated by comparing force-time response measured at the tibia load cells and the amount of compliant element compression obtained experimentally and computationally using two blast-injury experimental rigs. Good correlations between the numerical and experimental results were obtained with both. This model can now be used as a virtual test-bed of mitigation designs and in surrogate device development.
Date Issued
2016-03-21
Date Acceptance
2016-02-03
Citation
Journal of Biomechanics, 2016, 49 (5), pp.710-717
ISSN
0021-9290
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
710
End Page
717
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Biomechanics
Volume
49
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2016 Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Sponsor
The Royal British Legion
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021929016301075?via%3Dihub
Grant Number
Centre for Blast Injury Studie
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Technology
Biophysics
Engineering, Biomedical
Engineering
Lower limb
Blast
MIL-Lx
Under-vehicle explosion
High-rate loading
Blast
High-rate loading
Lower limb
MIL-Lx
Under-vehicle explosion
Blast Injuries
Explosions
Humans
Lower Extremity
Mechanical Phenomena
Models, Biological
Motor Vehicles
Tibia
Lower Extremity
Tibia
Humans
Blast Injuries
Explosions
Models, Biological
Motor Vehicles
Mechanical Phenomena
Biomedical Engineering
0903 Biomedical Engineering
0913 Mechanical Engineering
1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2016-02-10