Validation of a New Finite Element Model for Human Knee Ligaments for Use in High Speed Automotive Collisions

A finite element model of knee human ligaments was developed and validated to predict the injury potential of occupants in high speed frontal automotive collisions. Dynamic failure properties of ligaments were modeled to facilitate the development of more realistic dynamic representation of the human lower extremities when subjected to a high strain rate. Uniaxial impulsive impact loads were applied to porcine medial collateral ligament-bone complex with strain rates up to145 s⁻¹. From test results, the failure load was found to depend on ligament geometric parameters and on the strain rate applied. The information obtained was then integrated into a finite element model of the knee ligaments with the potential to be used also for representation of ligaments in other regions of the human body. The model was then validated against knee ligament dynamic tolerance tests found in literature. Results obtained from finite element simulations during the validation process agreed with the outcomes reported by literature findings encouraging the use of this ligament model as a powerful and innovative tool to estimate ligament human response in high speed frontal automotive collisions.