ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of neck restrain on traumatic brain injury during airbag inflation in traffic accidents. Methods Based on the previously validated 3-year-old child head finite element (FE) model, the impact on out-of-position (OOP) child occupant during airbag inflation was simulated by FE method, so as to investigate the effects of neck restraint on intracranial response and injury mechanism in traffic accidents. Results The head kinematics with neck restrain was different from that without neck restrain under the impact of airbag inflation. The neck restraint would obviously decrease the maximum Von Mises stress of pediatric brain. When airbag-head distance was 20 cm or 25 cm, the neck restraint would obviously decrease the maximum intracranial pressure. Conclusions Neck restraint had a relatively large influence on pediatric intracranial response. When the FE method is used to predict pediatric craniocerebral injury, consideration of neck restrain on child brain response is necessary.