Response of Tonic Lower Limb Fe Model in Various Real Life Car-pedestrian Impact Configurations – a Parametric Study for Standing Posture

This paper investigates the effect of muscle contraction on lower extremity injuries in car-pedestrian lateral impacts. Three variables, viz. height of impact, pedestrian offset with respect to car centre and impact speed, have been considered here. Full scale carpedestrian FE simulations have been performed using the full body pedestrian model with active lower extremities (PMALE) and front structures of a car model. Two pre-impact conditions of a symmetrically standing pedestrian, representing a cadaver and an unaware pedestrian have been simulated. It is concluded that (1) with muscle contraction risk of ligament failure decreases whereas risk of bone fracture increases (2) ligament and bone strains are dependent on the impact location (3) chances of ligament injuries are higher when the impact occurs near the outer corner of the car (4) risk of bone fracture increases with speed (5) bone fracture reduces the risk of ligament failure.