Geometrical personalization of human FE model using palpable markers on volunteers
Résumé
It is well established that the tolerance of the human thorax under dynamic loading decreases as age increases (Foret- Bruno et al. 1998; Kent et al. 2003; Lafont and Laumon 2003). This trend may be linked to several concomitant changes in the properties of biological tissues (Zhou et al. 1996), costo-vertebral, costo-chondral joint stiffnesses and joint limits, but also to different thorax morphotypes (Gayzik et al. 2008; Vezin and Berthet November 2009). This study aims at quantifying the influence of main geometrical parameters on thorax mechanical response. To achieve this goal, finite element (FE) simulations using the total human model for safety (THUMS) are carried out by modifying only THUMS anthropometry and thorax geometry while keeping constant the other factors. Anthropometric measurements taken on volunteers of various age, gender and anthropometry were used to perform THUMS geometrical personalisation. In addition, the volunteers were submitted to a low deceleration pulse (Poulard et al. 2011) duringwhich their thoracic response under belt load was measured and which served as validation of the personalised THUMS model.