Modeling the effects of pelvis/hip/femur position on the risk of injury in automotive collisions

A detailed finite element model of the human pelvis and lower extremities was developed based on anatomic data from the NIH-sponsored Visible Human Project. Anatomic slices were digitized and converted through a multi-step process into a fully hexahedral element finite element mesh. A procedure was also developed to rotate the femur about the center of rotation of its head to provide various degrees of hip flexion/extension and abduction/adduction. A preliminary series of simulations was conducted using LSDYNA to investigate the effects of hip position on the contact area within the joint and the associated stress levels in the surrounding bony structures. Results suggest that the risk of femoral neck fracture increases as the amount of hip abduction increases.