Journal of Civil Aviation University of China ›› 2025, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (4): 1-9.

• Safety and airworthiness of civil aircraft •     Next Articles

Research on lumbar spine injury of aircraft occupants under vertical impact
based on THUMS

  

  1. a. Research Institute of Science and Technology Innovation; b. Sino-European Institute of Aviation Engineering;
    c. College of Safety Science and Engineering, CAUC, Tianjin 300300, China 
  • Received:2024-02-08 Revised:2024-05-15 Online:2025-09-22 Published:2025-09-22

Abstract:

Under aircraft crash impacts, lumbar spine injury is a key factor affecting the survival ability of aircraft occupants
(abbreviated as occupants). This article aims to investigate the lumbar spine injuries of occupants under vertical
impact loads. Firstly, the high-precision numerical dummy THUMS (total human model for safety) was used to
study the effects of loading peak and loading time of the impact load acceleration on the biomechanical injuries
to the lumbar spine of occupants. Secondly, the differences in lumbar spine dynamic response between THUMS
and Hybrid Ⅲ dummies under vertical impact conditions were analyzed. Finally, the biomechanical injury of the
occupants′ lumbar spine was studied from a microscopic perspective. The study showed that with change of constant velocity, the peak value of axial load of the occupants′ lumbar spine increases greatly with an increase in
loading peak of acceleration, while the peak value of bending moment of the lumbar spine increases little. The
peak value of axial load of the occupants′ lumbar spine is positively correlated with the speed of energy accumulation. When the loading time is excessively short, the inertia effect limits lumbar flexion, resulting in a smaller
bending moment of the lumbar spine. The largest axial load of lumbar spine appears at the L5 cross-section and
the largest bending moment of lumbar spine occurs at the L1 cross-section, the assessment of lumbar spine injury
of occupants should comprehensively consider the effects of axial compression force and bending moment. From
a biomechanical perspective, the risk of injury to the cortical bone and key ligaments of the lumbar spine is the highest.

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