Pediatric Rib

The vast differences of pediatric bone as compared to adult bone are well documented. However, very little data is available on the actual material properties of pediatric bone. The main objective of the pediatric rib project is to determine the material properties of the pediatric rib by:

• Conducting 3-point or 4-point bending tests on small samples of pediatric rib bone.
• Analyzing the bending strength, deflection, elasticity, etc., of the bone as a function of age.
• Comparing the bending tests of the pediatric rib with those of the adult.

The material properties obtained from the study can be used to develop a more biofidelic crash test dummy that better mimics the mechanism of injury to the pediatric chest. An improved dummy will lead to advancements in the research of automobile safety and development of safer vehicles and restraint systems to protect and to save the lives of child occupants.