Knowledge Bank

Each year there are thousands of clavicle fractures as a result of the three-point belt system in car crashes. Although a lot of testing is put into the safety of passengers during automobile crashes there is still some uncertainty concerning the realistic response of the anthropomorphic testing devices (ATDs) use to represent the passengers. This study looked specifically to create a more accurate representation of the human clavicle’s response during a collision. The geometry of the clavicle was created from converting CT-scans of subjects into 3D-models. The clavicle was constrained by using spring elements in a finite element program in order to represent the ligaments which constrain the clavicle in the human body. Although there have been other studies done which have created finite elements tests of the clavicle. These were only made to verify three-point bending test results and used simplifications of the boundary conditions. Simulations were run to determine if load position was a factor in clavicle fractures. Using the model created it was found that the peak stress occurs when the belt load is centrally located on the clavicle. The stress decreases slightly as the load is moved laterally (toward the shoulder) and decreases dramatically as the load is moved medially (toward the neck). The process and model developed in this study could help in the creation of more accurate bone representations in ATDs for crash testing purposes.