Analysis of Finite Element Model for Neck Injury Mechanisms in Low-speed Rear-end Collisions

ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PROBELMS that needed to be investigated is the effect of muscle activity on the mechanisms of the neck injuries resulting from collision at low speeds. It has been experimentally indicated by Ono et al. [1] that the cervical muscles can react fast enough to significantly reduce the head angular displacement during the impact. Because of it, the modified finite element model of cervical spine which implements the Hill-type multi-bar muscle, was analyzed to study the mechanisms of the neck injuries. The activation of the neck musculature was determined using EMG data from the volunteer tests. The result from this analysis is to understand the mechanisms of injury to cervical facet joints.