Whiplash injuries are believed to result from non-physiological head–neck kinematics, specifically the so-called S-shaped deformation that occurs during the early phase of rear-end collisions. This abnormal motion can cause irreversible damage to the soft tissues of the cervical spine. Typical symptoms include headache, dizziness, and nausea; however, these are often difficult to diagnose due to the lack of objective clinical findings. As a result, the precise injury mechanisms remain unclear, and effective preventive measures have yet to be established. In this study, we focused on a small-statured female (AF05), who is considered to be at higher risk for whiplash injury. To better reflect human neuromuscular characteristics, we improved a previously developed AF05 head–neck model. Furthermore, we implemented a custom control algorithm that incorporates muscle co-contraction, enhancing both the stability and responsiveness of the head–neck complex against externally applied perturbations. These improvements lay the groundwork for future analyses aimed at optimizing headrest design parameters.
TACHIBANA et al. (Wed,) studied this question.