Kinematic Analysis of Backward Falls of Pedestrian and Figurine in Relation to Head Injury

Abstract

Unexpected backward falls caused by a vehicle at a pedestrian crossing or at a supermarket parking space, by slipping on the road or by an external force acting against the chest followed by a backward fall is a very frequent phenomenon and can affect anyone. Especially the back and temporal part of the head come into contact with the ground during this uncontrolled motion and, depending on the impact strength and surface properties, it can cause serious injury. This study addresses a kinematic analysis of probands' backward fall (voluntary fall, chest impact fall, slipping fall) and correlates it with dummy-based data and subsequently with data from head-surface interaction. From the measured head acceleration we can therefore calculate head injury criteria related to individual kinematic analyses and values during the fall.