Biomechanical tolerance criteria for paediatric populations

Biomechanical reviews of adult human structures (e.g., spinal column and head) are available. In contrast, there is a paucity of such data with regard to the pediatric population. This presentation provides a review of the biomechanical properties of children with particular emphasis on tolerance criteria as applied to dummy design. Certain aspects of developmental anatomy and biomechanical knowledge are analyzed to offer insights on pediatric human injury prediction. Initially, emphasis is placed on the developmental and anatomical variations of pediatric neck structures. This is because of the raised level of awareness and the need to understand pediatric neck injuries stemming from increased involvement of airbags in crash environments. In addition, these data are critically needed to improve the biofidelity of child dummies. This is followed by a presentation of tolerance criteria for the thorax/chest, head, and extremity structures. Due to space limitations, detailed anatomical development and constitutive relations are not presented for all structures. However, age-specific pediatric tolerance characteristics are delineated for all these regions. In addition to the analyses of experimental and analytical studies, the newly proposed tolerance criteria for the head, neck, and thorax, and their bases for application to different child dummies are discussed. Finally, recommendations are made for future biomechanical studies.