Whiplash Injury and Head Injury Criterion during Deceleration

Abstract

Cervical spine injuries have become an urgent problem in modern society. Regardless of social status or background, the high rate of neck injuries is a serious healthcare issue worldwide. The cervical spine injury is mainly caused by external impact and is termed as whiplash injury. In addition, the head also performs a whiplash movement during rapid deceleration. The aim of this study is to monitor and describe physically the natural response of the head to rapid deceleration. The methodology of using an impact simulator was adopted for simulating a load which is applied to passengers wearing a seat belt in a head-on collision of a car at the speed of 30 km/h. Furthermore, a series of comparative tests of two versions (impact with and without a blindfold) were conducted to determine the influence of vision and consciousness on risk and the seriousness of trauma and the results were compared with measurements on a dummy.