ABSTRACT
Objective To predict and assess biomechanical responses and injury mechanisms of the thorax and abdomen for small-sized females in vehicle collisions. Methods The accurate geometric model of the thorax and abdomen was constructed based on CT images of Chinese 5th percentile female volunteers. A thoracic-abdominal finite element model of Chinese 5th percentile female with detailed anatomical structure was developed by using the corresponding software. The model was validated by reconstructing three groups of cadaver experiments (namely, test of blunt anteroposterior impact on the thorax, test of bar anteroposterior impact on the abdomen, test of blunt lateral impact on the chest and abdomen). Results The force-deformation curves and injury biomechanical responses of the organs from the simulations were consistent with the cadaver experiment results, which validated effectiveness of the model. Conclusions The model can be used for studying injury mechanisms of the thorax and abdomen for small-sized female, as well as developing small-sized occupant restraint systems and analyzing the forensic cases, which lays foundation for developing the whole body finite element model of Chinese 5th percentile female.