Proceedings of lMECE2002 ASMEInternational Mechanical Engineering congress& Exposition November 17-22,2002, NewOrleans, Louisiana rMECE2002-32634 PEDIATRIC AIRBAG INJURIES Anthony Sances,Jr. (1), Srirangam Kumaresan(1), David Daniels (2), Keith Friedman(3) (1)Department of Computer Science University of California, Santa Barbara Biomechanics Institute, Santa Barbara, CA (2) Department of Radiology, Medical college of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wl (3) Friedman Research, Goleta,CA INTRODUCTION The advent of airbag technology has helped to reduce the injuries to belted occupants in motor vehicles during moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes [-3]- Airbags have been in use since the early 1970s. As ofJuly 2001, airbags have saved7224lives including 6066 drivers and ll58 front right passengers. However, the airbag deployments at low crash severity showed higher injury probability of occupants. The majority of airbag fatalities are associated with low speed impacts with deployments. As of July 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported 144 fatalities and serious life threatening injuries to children due to passenger airbags [4]. lt is also reported that four children died and one child sustained life- threatening injury due to a driver side airbag. The publication frorn Transport Canada noted that the airbags increase the overall risk of injury of children under the age of l0 by approximately 2l %[5). Although the airbags have saved many lives, they are also responsible for latalities and serious injuries during low speed severity collision. The present study reports pediatric airbag injuriessustained during low speed crashes. CASE STUDIES Case l; This involves a 3 year ll months old, l5 kg child in the right front of a vehicle. The vehicle was impacted in the right front region by anothervehicle at a low speed. The child was restrained in the forward facing child seat. The child seat was restrained to the car seat. During the impact, the passenger airbag deployed and injured the child. The severe injuriesare the cerebral edemaand infarction, basal ganglra infarctions, hemonhagrc contusions, right parietal skull fracture, snlall lateral ventricles, subarachnoid blood and punctuate hemorrhage in right posterior frontal lobe representing shear injuries (figure l). The airbag directly impacted the child's head,/face and inrparted higher acceleration/force to cause the brain contusions. Furthemrore, the shear injuries indicate the rotation of the head/neck systemduring the airbaginteraction. Figure 't: lllustration of brain injuries. Magnified view of brain from above showing internal structures Case 2: This involves a 3 year I month old, approximately l4 kg child in the right front of a car. The car impacted the front region into anothervehicle at a low speed. The child was restrained in the forward facingchild seat. The child seat wasrestrained to the car seat. During the impact, the passenger airbagdeployedand injured the child. The severe cervical spine injuries caused a spinal cord distraction at C3/4 with associated ligamentous rupture, brain stem subarachnoid blood,edema at junction of brainstem and spinalcord and a stretched vertebral artery(figure 2). The airbag interacted with the child's face/chin and subjected the head/necksystem to a tension/extension load to distractthe cervical spineand transect the spinal cordand traumatize the brainstem. Case 3: Thisinvolves a 5 year and I month old,24 kg, childin a right front of a car. The car rearended another vehicle at a low speed. The child wasprobably wearing only a lap belt. It was not certain thatthe shoulder harness wasused. During the collision, the passenger air bag interacted with the child. The child sustained completeatlanto- occipital dislocation with partial transection of pons and medulla, subarachnoid hemonhage around the baseof cerebellum and brain Copyright O 2002 by ASMb N -c C) c) N) (tl ..* (0