Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (32): 8471-8478.doi: 10.12307/2026.459

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Spinal injury risk assessment of a double-layer cushion for ejection seats based on ABAQUS

Yan Jin1, Xu Mengzhen1, Bao Jiayi2   

  1. 1School of Emergency Management and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Beijing 100083, China; 2School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
  • Accepted:2026-02-06 Online:2026-11-18 Published:2026-04-28
  • Contact: Bao Jiayi, PhD, Assistant professor, School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
  • About author:Yan Jin, MS, School of Emergency Management and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Beijing 100083, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth Science Fund), No. 12202035 (to BJY)

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Abstract: BACKGROUND: The enormous impact acceleration experienced by the human body during ejection is a major risk factor for spinal injury. Therefore, optimizing the cushioning and energy absorption design of ejection seat cushions is crucial for ensuring the safety of pilots.
OBJECTIVE: To construct a human-seat cushion coupled finite element model based on ABAQUS to quantitatively evaluate the impact of a double-layer cushion, which combines the advantages of high and slow rebound, on lumbar spine biomechanical response and spinal injury risk under ejection conditions, and to quantify its safety margin.
METHODS: CT imaging data of the entire spine and legs from one male pilot volunteer were selected. Three-dimensional anatomical reconstruction, geometric repair, and finite element meshing were completed to construct a highly biologically faithful digital human model encompassing the entire spine, pelvis, both femurs, and skin soft tissues. A geometric model of the dual-layer seat cushion was also established. Subsequently, a human-chair system coupled model was assembled in ABAQUS. Dynamic simulations were conducted by applying an ejection acceleration time history. Stress responses in the L4–L5 and L5–S1 intervertebral discs were compared between the high-resilience and dual-layer cushion designs. Injury probability was predicted using the Spinal Injury Risk Dynamic Response Index.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The simulation results demonstrated good consistency with actual measurement data, effectively validating the model's accuracy. Performance comparison analysis indicated that, compared with conventional seat cushions, the dual-layer cushion reduced peak stresses in the L4–L5 and L5–S1 intervertebral discs during ejection impact. This solution reduces the dynamic response index by 1.8%, lowering the predicted probability of spinal injury by 10.6%. While meeting relevant limits, it provides a higher safety margin and can effectively reduce the risk of spinal injury to the human body under ejection impact loads.


Key words: biomechanics, ejection seat, skeletal modeling, finite element simulation, injury risk assessment, dynamic response index

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