title: A parametric study of the thoracic injury potential of basic taekwondo kicks.
abstract: A parametric investigation of the thoracic injury potential of basic taekwondo kicks was conducted through the use of computer simulations. Linkage-based models were employed to simulate the kinetics of the kicking leg and were used to drive a human thorax model. The results of the analysis according to the thoracic compression criterion indicated a minimal probability of severe injury (AIS4+) for swing kicks, nearly 0 percent and thrust kicks, less than three percent. The thoracic viscous criteria, on the other hand, predicted a severe injury probability of up to 100 percent for swing kicks and up to 80 percent for thrust kicks. Additional analysis showed that the injury potential was a strong function of the kick velocity and a weak function of the applied constant force. The injury potential was also found to be a weak function of the size and weight of the kicking leg, with variations in the peak compression and viscous response being typically below 5 percent for a 20 percent change in either the mass or the length.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lieu
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007700:Kinetics; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000293:injuries*; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014783:Viscosity