We received funding from the Global Human Body Consortium (GHBMC) to develop a bio-mechanical model of a human cervical spine, leading to the establishment of a “neck center of expertise”. The ultimate goal of this consortium is to develop a “numerical crash dummy” to be used in automobile crash safety tests. Major automobile companies including Honda, GM, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, and Hyundai are all part of this consortium and fund this research. We investigating the behaviour of cadaveric cervical spine ligaments and segments in various high-speed loading conditions using custom built apparatus. As part of a collaborative research approach, this data is being used to develop, verify, and validate the computational model of cervical spine which will be the part of full human body model. This research will help build safer vehicle while reducing development costs for the automobile companies.
