Study of the influence of muscle activation on a driver's lower extremity injury

ABSTRACT

A driver's muscle activation of lower extremity at a collision moment (A_COL) was precisely described and the influence on injury was investigated. A simulated collision scene was constructed and 10 young male volunteers were recruited for the field test. A_COL of eight major lower extremity muscles were measured. The injury in this muscle activation state was analysed through a simulation and compared with those in minimum, median and maximum activation states. A_COL at 4.1%–22.6% were significantly smaller than fully activated with 100%. Compared with the minimum state, the injury parameters in maximum muscle activation state increased for at least 45%. Muscles are not always in maximum or even median activation at a collision moment. With the increase of muscle activation, the injury will potentially increase and the peak moment of injury parameters will delay. Therefore, muscle activation should be considered in injury analysis and the passive vehicle safety system design.

KEYWORDS:

• Muscle activation
• lower extremity
• collision moment
• injury
• electromyogram

Disclosure statement

The authors of the present manuscript state that there were and are no conflicts of interest with relation to this article. The authors of the present manuscript have nothing to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by 973 Program [grant number 2012CB723802]; Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education [grant number 20120061110028]; Jilin Provincial Research Foundation for Technology Guidance [grant number 20130413058GH], [grant number 20150204055GX]; ASCL Grant [grant number 20120104].