Grant: Project Grant

Vehicle rollovers are chaotic and dangerous events that are associated with high incidence of catastrophic cervical spine injuries. To prevent these injuries in future vehicle design, we need a clear understanding of the injury mechanisms and biomechanical conditions that generate clinically-relevant cervical spine fractures from headfirst impacts. Through our novel approach we will study how the initial rollover vehicle dynamics cause individuals to contract their neck muscles and align their heads and necks in a way that increases the biomechanical risk for cervical spine fracture during headfirst impacts with a vehicle's roof.