In conclusion, precrash positioning has a large effect on lumbar injury metrics. The lack of lumbar injury criteria in regulatory crash tests may have led to inadvertent design of seat pans that work to apply axial force to the spinal column during frontal crashes.

This study provided a computational framework for assessing thoracolumbar fractures and also quantified the effect of precrash driver posture on thoracolumbar response. Results aid in the evaluation of motor vehicle crash-induced vertebral fractures and the understanding of factors contributing to fracture risk.

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A method to compute injury metrics and risks as functions of precrash occupant position was developed and applied to 2 CIREN MVC FE reconstructions. The reconstruction process allows for quantification of the sensitivity and uncertainty of the injury risk predictions based on occupant position to further understand important factors that lead to more severe MVC injuries.