Neck muscle responses of driver and front seat passenger during frontal-oblique collisions.

Mühlbeier, Andreas; Boström, Kim Joris; Kalthoff, Wolfram; de Lussanet, Marc H E; Kraaijenbrink, Cassandra; Hagenfeld, Lena; Castro, William H M; Wagner, Heiko · 2018 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209753

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Summary

This study investigates the neuromuscular mechanisms underlying whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) during low-velocity frontal-oblique collisions, a crash scenario significantly under-researched compared to rear-end impacts. While drivers are known to have a higher risk of WAD than front-seat passengers (FSPs) in rear-end collisions, it remains unclear whether this disparity stems from differences in neck muscle responses. The authors aimed to quantify neck muscle activity and kinematics to determine if seating position, impact velocity, muscle pre-tension, or seatbelt usage influences reflex amplitude and delay. The researchers employed a within-subject experimental design involving 52 healthy participants who experienced simulated collisions using a modified Smart Fortwo vehicle. A pendulum mechanism impacted the vehicle from a left-frontal-oblique direction, generating velocity changes ($\Delta v$) of either 3 or 6 km/h. The study manipulated three primary variables: seating position (driver vs. FSP), deliberate muscle pre-tension (tense vs. relaxed to simulate expected vs. unexpected crashes), and $\Delta v$. Additionally, a subset of 10 subjects underwent trials without seatbelts to assess their impact. Surface electromyography (EMG) recorded activity in the sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, and cervical paraspinal muscles, while high-speed motion capture systems tracked head and torso kinematics. The results revealed significant main effects of $\Delta v$ and muscle pre-tension on reflex amplitude, but no significant effect of seating position. Specifically, higher velocity changes and pre-tensed muscles resulted in greater reflex amplitudes. Regarding reflex delay, only muscle pre-tension had a significant effect; neither $\Delta v$ nor seating position influenced the timing of muscle activation. Furthermore, the presence or absence of a safety belt, as well as its asymmetrical orientation, did not significantly affect reflexive muscular responses. Consequently, the study found no significant differences in either reflex amplitude or delay between drivers and front-seat passengers. The authors conclude that the increased risk of WAD for drivers in frontal-oblique collisions, if it exists, cannot be attributed to differences in reflexive neck muscle responses compared to passengers. The findings suggest that neuromuscular behavior is driven primarily by impact severity and anticipatory muscle tension rather than seating location. This challenges assumptions that driver-specific kinematic or muscular factors explain higher injury rates in this context, implying that other biomechanical or psychological factors may be responsible for the observed disparities in WAD incidence.

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• passenger effects