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It has been reported that lower extremity injuries represent a measurable portion of all moderate-to-severe automobile crash- related injuries. Thus, a simple tool to assist with the design of leg and foot injury countermeasures is desirable. The objective of this study is to develop a mathematical model which can predict load propagation and kinematics of the foot and leg in frontal automotive impacts. A multi-body model developed at the University of Virginia and validated for blunt impact to the whole foot has been used as basis for the current work. This model includes representations of the tibia, fibula, talus, hindfoot, midfoot and forefoot bones. Additionally, the model provides a means for tensioning the Achilles tendon. In the current study, the simulations conducted correspond to tests performed by the Transport Research Laboratory and the University of Nottingham on knee-amputated cadaver specimens.

Submarining is a common cause of injury in severe frontal crashes. Furthermore, submarining protection may limit lap-belt designs, in that it restricts the range of usable lap-belt angles. Therefore a method to assess how close the occupant substitute is to submarining in a crash test is desirable. In this paper the hypothesis was that the maximum value of the angle, in the x-z plane, between the lap-belt and the pelvis during the time-period when the belt force exceeds 3 kN is a measure of the lap-belt slipping off the pelvis in a frontal impact. In order to obtain this angle with high precision, five mechanical sled-tests with the Hybrid-III dummy was transferred into MADYMO.