Computational Failure Modeling of Lower Extremities

Underbelly blasts to vehicles from improvised explosives cause severe injuries to the lower extremities, including bone fracture, ligament tear, and muscle rupture. While these injuries may seem well-defined through medical imaging, the process of injury and the effects of vehicle system design to protection are still unclear. In this paper, efforts focused on developing a finite element model of the lower extremities undergoing high strain rate blast-induced deformation leading to injury will be discussed. A hierarchical approach is taken. The process of high strain rate direct axial loading that leads to bone fracture and fragmentation is investigated.