Fundamentals of impact biomechanics: Part 2 - Biomechanics of the abdomen,pelvis, and lower extremities

This is the second of two chapters (the first chapter appeared in the Annua l Review of Biomedical Engineering, 2000, 2:55-81) dealing with some 60 yea rs of accumulated knowledge in the field of impact biomechanics. The region s covered in the first chapter were the head, neck, and thorax. In this cha pter, the abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities are discussed. The thoraco lumbar spine is not covered because of length limitations and the low frequ ency of injury to this area from automotive accidents. Again, in the cited results, the reader needs to be keenly aware of the wide variation in human response and tolerance. This is due primarily to the large biological vari ations among humans and to the effects of aging. Average values that are us eful in design cannot be applied to individuals.