Integrated assessment of the neck during whiplash-like perturbations

挥鞭样损伤是由汽车碰撞中头部和胸部的加速度引起的，也是在曲棍球等运动中引起的。虽然挥鞭样损伤通常不会危及生命，但它们很常见，昂贵，可能会产生严重的长期后果;与挥鞭样损伤相关的经济成本，包括医疗保健，残疾，病假和工作效率损失，估计在美国每年高达39亿美元，在加拿大基于人口的比例相似。这项研究将我正在进行的生物力学关节形式和功能的研究扩展到颈椎。拟议的研究涉及使用解剖标本对头颈部对挥鞭样扰动反应的实验室研究。本研究将通过使用机器人控制标本运动的生物力学测试来确定整个挥鞭样损伤扰动过程中单个脊柱韧带内的载荷。必须使用解剖标本，因为不可能使用活人进行这种水平的分析。然而，这种测试方法不能评估肌肉的贡献。因此，我们将进行人类志愿者研究，以评估颈部肌肉在挥鞭样扰动中的作用。扰动将通过机器人平台的运动来控制，并且类似于碰碰车碰撞。这两个研究领域将有助于确定颈部韧带和肌肉是如何承受挥鞭样损伤的。这些信息将被嵌入到一个框架（模型）中，以允许在更严重的汽车碰撞过程中分析颈部韧带和肌肉内的负荷，并将被应用于帮助开发新的方法，以提高汽车安全性和降低发生挥鞭样损伤的风险。

Whiplash injuries are caused by accelerations of the head and thorax in automobile collisions, and also in sports such as hockey. Although whiplash injuries are generally not life threatening, they are common, expensive and can have significant long-term consequences; the economic cost related to whiplash injury, including medical care, disability, sick leave, and lost work productivity, has been estimated to be as high as $3.9 billion annually in the United States, and a similar proportion in Canada based on population. The proposed research extends my ongoing investigations of biomechanical joint form and function to the cervical spine. The proposed studies involve laboratory-based studies of head and neck response to whiplash-like perturbations using anatomical specimens. This research will determine the loads within individual spinal ligaments throughout the whiplash perturbation via biomechanical testing using a robot to control the motion of the specimen. It is necessary to use anatomical specimens since it is impossible to perform this level of analysis using living people. However, this testing approach can not assess the contribution of muscles. Accordingly we will perform human volunteer studies to evaluate the role of the neck muscles during whiplash-like perturbations. The perturbations will be controlled through motion of a robotic platform, and are similar to a bumper car collision. Together these two research areas will help determine how whiplash loads are borne by the neck ligaments and muscles. This information will be assembed into a framework (model) to permit analysis of loads within the neck ligaments and muscles during more severe automobile collisions, and will be applied to help develop new approaches for improving automobile safety and decreasing the risk of developing whiplash.