Dynamic Response of the Thoracolumbar and Sacral Spine to Simulated Underbody Blast Loading in Whole Body Post Mortem Human Subject Tests

Fourteen simulated underbody blast impact sled tests were performed using a horizontal deceleration sled with the aim of evaluating the dynamic response of the spine in under various conditions. Conditions were characterized by input (peak velocity and time-to-peak velocity for the seat and floor), seat type (rigid or padded) and the presence of personnel protective equipment (PPE). A 50% (T12) and 30% (T8) reduction in the thoracic spine response for the specimens outfitted with PPE was observed. Longer duration seat pulses (55 ms) resulted in a 68-78% reduction in the magnitude of spine responses and a reduction in the injuries at the pelvis, thoracic and lumbar regions when compared to shorter seat pulses (10 ms). The trend analysis for the peak Z (caudal to cranial) acceleration measured along the spine showed a quadratic fit (p < 0.05), rejecting the hypothesis that the magnitude of the acceleration would decrease linearly as the load traveled caudal to cranial through the spine during an Underbody Blast (UBB) event. A UBB event occurs when an explosion beneath a vehicle propels the vehicle and its occupants vertically. Further analysis revealed a relationship (p < 0.01) between peak sacrum acceleration and peak spine accelerations measured at all levels. This study provides an initial analysis of the relationship between input conditions and spine response in a simulated underbody blast environment.