title: Development and Validation of an Older Occupant Finite Element Model of a Mid-Sized Male for Investigation of Age-related Injury Risk.
abstract: The aging population is a growing concern as the increased fragility and frailty of the elderly results in an elevated incidence of injury as well as an increased risk of mortality and morbidity. To assess elderly injury risk, age-specific computational models can be developed to directly calculate biomechanical metrics for injury. The first objective was to develop an older occupant Global Human Body Models Consortium (GHBMC) average male model (M50) representative of a 65 year old (YO) and to perform regional validation tests to investigate predicted fractures and injury severity with age. Development of the GHBMC M50 65 YO model involved implementing geometric, cortical thickness, and material property changes with age. Regional validation tests included a chest impact, a lateral impact, a shoulder impact, a thoracoabdominal impact, an abdominal bar impact, a pelvic impact, and a lateral sled test. The second objective was to investigate age-related injury risks by performing a frontal US NCAP simulation test with the GHBMC M50 65 YO and the GHBMC M50 v4.2 models. Simulation results were compared to the GHBMC M50 v4.2 to evaluate the effect of age on occupant response and risk for head injury, neck injury, thoracic injury, and lower extremity injury. Overall, the GHBMC M50 65 YO model predicted higher probabilities of AIS 3+ injury for the head and thorax.
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics.
authors.forename: Samantha L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Schoell
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics.
authors.forename: Ashley A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics.
authors.forename: Jillian E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics.
authors.forename: Derek A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics.
authors.forename: Joel D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Stitzel
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
authors.forename: Eunjoo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rupp
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology