Abstract
This paper presents experimental and simulation work used to study the injury patterns and mechanisms of the ankle/foot complex. The simulation effort has developed a segmented lower limb and foot model for an occupant simulator program to study the interactions of the foot with intruding toepan and pedal components. The experimental procedures include static tests, pendulum impacts and full-scale tests with AATD and human cadavers. The response of the lower extremities is characterized with analogous dummy and cadaver instrumentation packages that include strain gauges, electrogoniometers, angular rate sensors, accelerometers and load cells. Sled tests are performed with a toepna device that subjects the lower extremities to typical intrusion pulses. Based upon data from these tests, a risk function which correlates observed cadaver injury with dummy response is developed.
Keywords:lower extremity, injuries, intrusion, simulation, AATD