Matthew Millard, a former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Stuttgart’s Cluster of Excellence SimTech, has received funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to improve the accuracy of whiplash injury simulations. Partnering with André Tomalka, this three-year research initiative seeks to enhance biomechanical models to better predict injury outcomes, specifically targeting whiplash injuries.
The project, titled Improving Whiplash Simulation Accuracy from the Bottom Up: From Individual Musculotendons to the Entire Neck, tackles the complex field of injury prediction. Whiplash injuries affect countless individuals yearly, often leading to chronic pain and substantial healthcare costs. While traditional simulations simplify muscle behavior, Millard and Tomalka’s approach integrates advanced experimental data to capture detailed muscle responses under varying strain conditions. By combining new experimental findings with advanced simulation techniques, the project aims to establish more precise benchmarks for injury prediction.
Through a series of planned experiments, the team will study muscle responses to slow and rapid elongations - processes influenced by proteins like titin and cross-bridges - that can result in injury. The findings will be incorporated into human body models, providing a foundation for enhancing safety assessments in automotive design, where accurate injury prediction is essential.
“Our goal is not only to enhance whiplash simulation in automotive safety but also to provide a foundational understanding of muscle injury mechanics applicable to other scenarios,” says Millard.
A key feature of the project is the development of an open-access benchmarking library, comparing simulated muscle responses to experimental data. This resource is expected to be valuable for researchers worldwide.
The findings from Millard and Tomalka’s project are expected to have wide-reaching applications, including improvements in automotive safety. As the automotive industry shifts toward autonomous driving, novel seating positions could introduce new risks for whiplash injuries. Improved simulation models will help engineers better design and assess vehicle safety systems in early development phases. Beyond automotive applications, the data generated from these studies on muscle mechanics will provide insights applicable to sports science, orthopaedics, and rehabilitation. The project has received positive feedback from reviewers, who highlighted the methodological approach and its potential contributions to both basic and applied biomechanics research.
“The successful funding application reflects SimTech’s support for early-career researchers in developing independent scientific careers", states Jenny Kopsch-Xhema, SimTech’s Managing Director.
Millard brings extensive expertise in muscle modeling and biomechanics, having authored several influential publications on musculotendon dynamics and human body models used in crash simulations. He has developed simulation tools, such as those integrated into OpenSim software, widely used by researchers worldwide. Tomalka, an academic council member at Stuttgart, specializes in experimental muscle mechanics, focusing on muscle strain behavior. His expertise in high-resolution muscle imaging will be pivotal in providing the experimental foundations for this project.
| Contact | Matthew Millard I matthew.millard@inspo.uni-stuttgart.de |
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