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The Physics Teacher -- February 2008 -- Volume 46, Issue 2, pp. 88

Kinematics of a Head-Neck Model Simulating Whiplash

Giuseppe Colicchia1, Dean Zollman2, Hartmut Wiesner1, and Ahmet Ilhan Sen3

1Ludwig-Maximilians University, D-80799 Munich, Germany
2Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
3Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

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A whiplash event is a relative motion between the head and torso that occurs in rear-end automobile collisions. In particular, the large inertia of the head results in a horizontal translation relative to the thorax. This paper describes a simulation of the motion of the head and neck during a rear-end (whiplash) collision. A head-neck model that qualitatively undergoes the same forces acting in whiplash and shows the same behavior is used to analyze the kinematics of both the head and the cervical spine and the resulting neck loads. The rapid acceleration during a whiplash event causes the extension and flexion of the cervical spine, which in turn can cause dislocated vertebrae, torn ligaments, intervertebral disc herniation, and other trauma that appear to be the likely causes of subsequent painful headache or neck pain symptoms. Thus, whiplash provides a connection between the dynamics of the human body and physics. Its treatment can enliven the usual teaching in kinematics, and both theoretical and experimental approaches provide an interesting biological context to teach introductory principles of mechanics.

© 2008 American Association of Physics Teachers

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

physics education, educational aids, mechanics, modelling, automobiles, collision processes, safety

PACS

History
Online Jan 2008

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0031-921X (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.2834528

  1. Y. Mats et al., “Neck injuries in car collisions—A review covering a possible injury mechanism and the development of a new rear-impact dummy,” Accident Anal. Prev. 32, 167–175 (March 2000). [MEDLINE]
  2. M. Panjabi et al., “Cervical spine curvature during simulated whiplash,” Clin. Biomech. 19, 1–9 (Jan. 2004).
  3. M. Panjabi et al., “Mechanism of whiplash injury,” Clin. Biomech. 13, 239–249 (June–July 1998).
  4. B. Stemper et al., “Effect of head restraint backseat on head-neck kinematics in whiplash,” Accident Anal. Prev. 38, 317–323 (March 2006). [MEDLINE]
  5. A. Young et al., “Assessing automobile head restraint positioning in Portland, Oregon,” Inj. Prev. 11, 97–101 (April 2005); http://ip.bmjjournals.com/. [MEDLINE]
  6. Coach 6 Studio MV (Centre for Microcomputer Applications, Amsterdam, 2006); http://www.cma.science.uva.nl/.



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