[A new exploration of the applicability of the head injury criterion].

Head injury criterion (HIC) is a widely accepted injury criterion in assessing the injury potential of the human head under external loads. It has been used in vehicle safety regulations worldwide and helmet design. However, controversy about its applicability exists. In this study, two human head models of different size and mass were created to explore the applicability of HIC. Under three different impact loadings, the principal stresses of the two brains of the two different head models were calculated and compared with the corresponding HIC values. The influences on the application of HIC in head injury assessment were investigated. This study provides some new insights and leads new conclusions towards human head injury assessment.