Development and preliminary validation of computationally efficient and detailed 50th percentile female human body models

• Published in: Accident analysis and prevention 2023-09, Vol.190, p.107182-107182, Article 107182
• Main Authors: Robinson, Andrea, von Kleeck, B. Wade, Gayzik, F. Scott
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic; Biomechanical Phenomena; Cadaver; Computer Simulation; Female; Female Occupants; Finite Element Analysis; Human Body; Human body model; Humans; Injury assessment; Male; Models, Biological; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Sex differences; Thoracic morphology
• ISSN: 0001-4575; 1879-2057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2023.107182

•Average female models with varying levels of detail were developed.•Rib cage morphology was based on a population average.•These models offer a new tool to study injury risk disparities between the sexes. No vehicle testing standard (physical or computational) employs a mid-sized female human surrogate, despite discrepancies related to injury outcomes for female occupants amongst all vehicle users. We detail the design and preliminary validation of 50th percentile female (F50) computational human body models (HBMs) based on Global Human Body Models Consortium (GHBMC) models. Data for the target geometry was collected as part of the initial generation of GHBMC models. Imaging, surface data, and 15 anthropomorphic measures from a living female subject (60.8 kg and 1.61 m) served as the baseline for model development. Due to the role rib cage geometry plays in biomechanical loading, rib cage morphology from secondary retrospective data was leveraged to identify an average female rib cage based on gross anatomical features. A female rib cage was selected from an existing dataset closest to the mean depth, height, and width of the set, considering only those aged 20 – 50 years. The selected subject among this secondary set also exhibited a 7th rib angle and sternum angle within 5% of the mean measurements, and within the range of previously reported studies. The GHBMC 5th percentile, small female detailed (high biofidelity) and simplified (computationally efficient) models were morphed to match the F50 subject body surface, selected bones, and mean rib cage using established thin plate spline techniques. The models were validated vs. previously published literature studies with an emphasis on rib cage response. Model data was compared to 47 channels of experimental data across four biomechanical hub simulations, two sled test simulations (one of which included all female PMHS), and two robustness simulations to test stability. Model results were mass scaled to the average of the reported corridors. Objective evaluation was conducted using CORA. IRB approval was obtained for all prospective and retrospective data collected or used. The target rib cage was selected from retrospective image data used in prior studies (n = 339 chest CT scans). The morphed HBMs closely matched the target geometry. The detailed and simplified models had masses and element counts of 61.2 kg and 61.8 kg, and 2.8 million and 0.3 million, respectively. The mass difference is due to a co