Response of a human head-neck model to transient saggital plane loading.

A reproducible, synthetic replica of the human head and neck system utilizing a water-filled cadaver skull mounted on fiberglass-reinforced resin vertebrae and supported by passive silicone rubber muscle and ligament elements has been constructed. Contact force, head accelerations, disk pressures and intracranial pressure responses to conditions of transient saggital plane pendulum loading have been ascertained. Front and rear head impacts as well as excitation of the entire system through its rigid base were effected. Input energies ranging from 0.0089 N m to 4.63 N m were employed resulting in head accelerations up to 180 g.