  Falls and their related injuries pose a significant risk to human health. One
of the most common falls, the forward fall, frequently occurs among adults and
the elderly. In this study, we propose using a human body model, developed
using the MAthematical DYnamic MOdel (MADYMO) software, in place of human
subjects, to investigate forward fall-related injuries. The MADYMO human body
model is capable of simulating items that cannot be assessed on human subjects,
such as human kinematics, human dynamics, and the possibility of injuries. In
order to achieve our goal, a set of experiments was conducted to measure the
impact force during a worst-case forward fall scenario (the outstretched hand
position) for two short fall heights. Similar to the experimental design used
on the human subjects, we generated a MADYMO human model. After performing the
simulations, the results of the experiment on the human subjects and the MADYMO
simulation model were compared. We demonstrated a significant correlation
between the MADYMO simulation and the human subject experiments with respect to
the magnitude and timing of the impact forces. Consequently, we validated the
MADYMO human body model as a means to accurately assess forward fall-related
injuries. Additionally, we compared the predicted results of a mathematical
model with the MADYMO human body model. The MADYMO model is reliable and can
demonstrate an accurate impact time. Therefore, we conclude that the MADYMO
human model can be utilized as a reliable model to investigate forward
fall-related injuries from a typical standing position.
