Analysis of high load injury of thoracolumbar spine in pilots during ejection process

PEI Huining; CHEN Yunfeng; BAI Zhonghang; SUN Jiali; WU Meng; SHAO Xingchen

doi:10.13700/j.bh.1001-5965.2022.0957

Volume 51 Issue 1

Jan. 2025

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Journal of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics > 2025 > 51(1): 102-112.

PEI H N，CHEN Y F，BAI Z H，et al. Analysis of high load injury of thoracolumbar spine in pilots during ejection process[J]. Journal of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics，2025，51（1）：102-112 （in Chinese） doi: 10.13700/j.bh.1001-5965.2022.0957

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Analysis of high load injury of thoracolumbar spine in pilots during ejection process

doi: 10.13700/j.bh.1001-5965.2022.0957

1.
School of Architecture & Art Design，Hebei University of Technology，Tianjin 300401，China
2.
National Engineering Research Center for Technological Innovation Method and Tool，Hebei University of Technology，Tianjin 300401，China

Funds:

National Natural Science Foundation of China (52242508); Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (G2021202008)

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail：baizhonghang@hebut.edu.cn
Received Date: 30 Nov 2022
Accepted Date: 14 Jan 2023

Available Online: 03 Feb 2023

Publish Date: 30 Jan 2023

Abstract

Abstract

In an attempt to accurately analyze high load, the finite element model established by clinical CT data was unable to capture the fine geometric features and heterogeneous properties of vertebrae, leading to an inaccurate analysis of the high rate of thoracolumbar spine injuries on fighter pilots during ejection. A finite element model of the thoracolumbar spine (T12-L2) was constructed based on nonlinear finite element, which represents the cortical thickness, cortical density, and cancellous bone density of specific-objects, to analyze the biomechanics of high load on the thoracolumbar spines of pilots during ejection. The object-specific finite element model was constructed based on the CT data of the thoracolumbar spine, and the cortical bone thickness and density values obtained from cortical bone mapping (CBM) were incorporated into the CT-based finite element modeling process of the thoracolumbar spine, and the elastic modulus of each element was calculated according to the Hounsfield units (HU) value to realize the heterogeneous assignment of material. By using the same loads and boundary conditions as those found in published in vitro studies, the model's correctness was confirmed. A Additionally, a simulation and computation were made of the biomechanical reaction of the thoracolumbar spine brought on by the ejection load in the upright, flexion, and extension physiological motion situations. The results showed that the vertebral load transfer characteristics were significantly different among the three different physiological motion conditions subjected to ejection loading, with the upright physiological motion conditions resulting in the least amount of direct acute injury to the vertebrae from the high load.
- biomechanics,
- finite element analysis,
- high load damage,
- thoracolumbar spine,
- ejection

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References(39)

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