Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Development Of An Experimental Model To Quantify Lumbar Spine Kinematics During Military Seat Ejection, Steven George Storvik

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The initial phase of a military ejection sequence exerts substantial axial loads on the spinal column. Eccentric inertial loading on the thoracolumbar spine can lead to injury. Most serious injuries due to ejection are in the form of a vertebral fracture, most commonly occurring at the thoracolumbar junction. The objective of the current study was to understand characteristics of a military seat ejection by employing an experimental model designed to simulate the boost or in-rail phase. The model incorporates realistic boundary conditions and is capable of quantifying metrics associated with injury tolerance such as applied accelerations and resultant loads and …