New Restraints Could Cushion Crash Impact

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http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2004/06/04/hscout519274.

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A vest and harness safety system for cars may help protect people with

osteoporosis and other brittle bone disorders from suffering serious

injuries in crashes....

We estimate that as many as 13 million people with osteoporosis,

osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disorder) and hemophilia need some

additional protection from forces applied to the torso during a car crash, "

S. Sorock, an associate professor at the center, said in a prepared

statement.

" The assignment was to design and test a restraint system that would reduce

these forces, protecting the ribs and the sternum in particular, " Sorock

said.

The system includes a vest with three layers of foam padding to absorb some

of the energy that causes chest compression during a crash. This compression

can cause broken ribs and other serious internal injuries in people with

weakened bones.

In place of the standard three-point seatbelt system, the students used a

four-point race care harness. This keeps a person's body tighter against the

car seat and distributes crash energy across a wider area of the body.