INJURY AND RESPONSE OF THE SHOULDER IN LATERAL SLED TESTS

The biomechanical response and injury tolerance of the shoulder in lateral impacts is not clearly understood. Data from these impacts is needed to better understand human injury tolerance, validate finite element models and develop biofidelic shoulders in side impact dummies. The data from seventeen side impact cadaver tests were analyzed. The maximum forces of thorax and shoulder vary from test to test, but overall, increase with subject velocity and padding stiffness. This paper presents the peak acceleration in the upper sternum and the direction of the decrease of this force with the use of soft padding.