As part of a project to develop side impact test procedures for evaluating wheelchairs, wheelchair tiedowns and occupant restraint systems (WTORS), and vehicle-based occupant protection systems for wheelchair seating stations, we created validated finite element (FE) models to support procedure development. Models were constructed using LS-DYNA. Dynamic sled tests were performed to validate the FE models of surrogate fixtures and commercial hardware. Validated FE models were developed for the Surrogate wheelchair base (SWCB), Surrogate wheelchair for side impact (SWCSI), a manual wheelchair (Ki Mobility Catalyst 5), and a power wheelchair (Quantum Rehab Edge 2.0). Additional FE models of a heavy-duty anchor meeting the Universal Docking Interface Geometry (UDIG), surrogate four-point strap tiedowns (SWTORS), a traditional docking station, and the surrogate wall fixture were also developed.
Hind limbs can undergo dramatic changes in loading conditions during the transition from quadrupedal to bipedal locomotion. For example, the most early diverging bipedal jerboas (Rodentia: Dipodidae) are some of the smallest mammals in the world, with body masses that range 2-4 grams. The larger jerboa species exhibit developmental and evolutionary fusion of the central three metatarsals into a single cannon bone. We hypothesize that body size reduction and metatarsal fusion are mechanisms to maintain the safety factor of the hind limb bones despite the higher ground reaction forces associated with bipedal locomotion. Using finite element analysis to model collisions between the substrate and the metatarsals, we found that body size reduction was insufficient to reduce bone stress on unfused metatarsals, based on the scaled dynamics of larger jerboas, and that fused bones developed lower stresses than unfused bones when all metatarsals are scaled to the same size and loading conditions. Based on these results, we conclude that fusion reinforces larger jerboa metatarsals against high ground reaction forces. Because smaller jerboas with unfused metatarsals develop higher peak stresses in response to loading conditions scaled from larger jerboas, we hypothesize that smaller jerboas use alternative dynamics of bipedal locomotion that reduces the impact of collisions between the foot and substrate.
Villacis Nunez, Ray, Cooper, Moore (submitted). Body size reduction and metatarsal fusion were distinct mechanisms to resist bending as jerboas (Dipodidae) transitioned from quadrupedal to bipedal.
