Biomechanics of the Neck

Abstract

From a mechanical and structural point of view, the human neck is a very complex mechanism, containing vital neurologic, vascular, and respiratory structures as well as the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord. The incidence of neck injuries in traffic accidents appears to be relatively low compared to for instance head injuries, except for specific accident configurations like a rear end collision where more than 50% of the injuries appear to be in the neck area. However, the vehicle injury priority rating data indicated that neck injuries became the fifth most important injury category (after head, face, chest and abdomen). Knowledge on the mechanism causing neck injuries is still rather limited. Therefore, various biomechanical models (i.e. animal/human models and numerical models), injury mechanisms and injury tolerance of the neck will be presented in this chapter.