ABSTRACT
Objective To study the failure tolerance in long bones of lower limbs under dynamic loads. Methods Based on the finite element (FE) model of lower limb for Chinese people, the dynamic three-point bending test on the femur, tibia, leg and thigh was conducted , and the FE model was validated against the cadaveric experiment. Results The force-displacement curves between FE simulation and cadaveric experimental results for bending tests were correlated. The contact forces on femur, tibia, thigh and leg with failure tolerance were 4.29, 3.94, 4.81 and 4.086 kN, respectively，and the displacements from the impactor were 17.78, 34, 52.1, and 47.06 mm, respectively. The simulation results were correlated well with those in dynamic cadaveric experiments. Conclusions This study validated the effectiveness of the FE model, which would lay a good foundation for the further research on validation of FE model of knee joint and whole lower limb, and provide the theoretical references for the protection of pedestrians in crashes.