The effectiveness of cervical airbags in the control of head and neck kinematics

C.M. Vives-Torres, M. Valdano, J. Alvarez-Fernandez, J.M. Asensio-Gil, C. Rodríguez-Morcillo, M. Millet-Solanelles, N. Oleaga Ortega, L. Llobet-Cusí, F.J. López-Valdés

International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury - IRCOBI Europe 2023, Cambridge (United Kingdom). 13-15 September 2023

Summary:

Cyclists represent a significant percentage of seriously or fatally injured road users. Head and brain injuries in cyclists have been extensively studied, but less focus has been given to cervical injuries. Airbags are being designed to mitigate or prevent injuries in cyclists. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of three airbag prototypes designed primarily to prevent hyperextension cervical injuries in cyclists. A test series was conducted with a Hybrid III 50th percentile. The performance of the airbags was assessed by comparing head kinematics and selected injury criteria. The most noticeable differences were obtained for hyperextension angles. The average angle without airbag was 50.06 ±1.73 degrees, compared to 41.99 ±1.29, 37.20 ±2.05, and 46.53 ±2.21 degrees, respectively, for the tests with the three different airbags.  No substantial differences in peak linear acceleration and head angular velocity were obtained in the tests; however, a relation between volume capacity and airbag pressure was observed. There were no relevant reductions in the brain injury criterion. The lowest values were obtained using Airbag 1, with an improvement of 2.4 % in the average brain injury criterion. Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of airbags in the occurrence of cervical trauma.

Spanish layman's summary:

Se evaluaron tres airbags cervicales para ciclistas utilizando el Híbrido III percentil 50. Los resultados se compararon con los del caso base en el que no se utilizó ningún airbag. Las diferencias más notables con airbags se obtuvieron para los ángulos de hiperextensión. También se observaron diferencias en los parámetros cinemáticos según la presión de inflado de los airbags, específicamente en la velocidad angular de la cabeza y en la máxima aceleración lineal.

English layman's summary:

Three cervical airbags for cyclists were tested in a customised test rig using the Hybrid III 50th percentile dummy. The results were compared to the baseline case, in which no airbag was used. The most noticeable differences when using airbags were obtained for hyperextension angles. Differences in kinematic parameters were also observed for each airbag depending on pressure, specifically for head angular velocity and peak linear acceleration.

Keywords: Cervical airbag, cyclist injuries, head kinematics, hyperextension, neck injuries.

Published in IRCOBI Conference Proceedings, vol: 23, pp: 85-104, ISSN: 2235-3151

Publication date: 2023-09-15.

Citation:
C.M. Vives-Torres, M. Valdano, J. Alvarez-Fernandez, J.M. Asensio-Gil, C. Rodríguez-Morcillo, M. Millet-Solanelles, N. Oleaga Ortega, L. Llobet-Cusí, F.J. López-Valdés, The effectiveness of cervical airbags in the control of head and neck kinematics, International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury - IRCOBI Europe 2023, Cambridge (United Kingdom). 13-15 September 2023. In: IRCOBI Conference Proceedings, vol. 23, ISSN: 2235-3151