Patterns of Abdominal Injury in Frontal Automotive Crashes

The Hybrid III, which is the only universally used frontal crash anthropomorphic test device, lacks a biofidelic abdomen that can be used for different loading surfaces and loading rates. The Frangible Abdomen, developed by General Motors in 1989, is the only commercially available, dynamically tuned insert. While the Frangible Abdomen has biofidelity under belt loading conditions, it has neither the loading rate sensitivity nor the appropriate mechanical response (biofidelity) for assessing injury from non-belt impacts (e.g., airbags or steering wheels). A loading rate sensitive abdomen that is also capable of assessing injury is currently under development by the General Motors Safety Research Department. In order to develop such a device, it is important to identify the frequency and severity of injury to the various regions and organs in the abdomen to prioritize their instrumentation with the appropriate sensors. In this study, crash data collected between 1988 and 1994, contained in the database of the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS), were analyzed to identify the frequency and severity of injury to the abdominal organs in frontal crashes. Results are summarized and compared with previously published studies.