---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 C.F.R. § 572.136"
title: "49"
number: "572.136"
heading: "Knees and knee impact test procedure."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/49/572.136"
---

# §572.136. Knees and knee impact test procedure.


All assemblies and drawings referenced in this section are contained in the Engineering Drawings (incorporated by reference, see [§ 572.130](/cfr/49/572.130.md)).

- (a) The knee assembly for the purpose of this test is the part of the leg assembly shown in drawing 880105-560.
- (b)
  - (1) When the knee assembly, consisting of sliding knee assembly (drawing 880105-528R or -528L), lower leg structural replacement (drawing 880105-603), lower leg flesh (drawing 880105-601), ankle assembly (drawing 880105-660), foot assembly (drawing 880105-651 or 650), and femur load transducer (drawing SA572-S14) or its structural replacement (drawing 78051-319) is tested according to the test procedure in [subsection (c)](#c), the peak resistance force as measured with the test probe-mounted accelerometer must be not less than 3450 N (776 lbf) and not more than 4060 N (913 lbf).
  - (2) The force shall be calculated by the product of the impactor mass and its deceleration.
- (c) **The test procedure for the knee assembly is as follows—**
  - (1) Soak the knee assembly in a controlled environment at any temperature between 18.9 and 25.6 °C (66 and 78 °F) and a relative humidity from 10 to 70 percent for at least four hours prior to a test.
  - (2) **Mount the test material and secure it to a rigid test fixture as shown in figure O5 of this subpart O.** No part of the foot or tibia may contact any exterior surface.
  - (3) Align the test probe so that throughout its stroke and at contact with the knee it is within 2 degrees of horizontal and collinear with the longitudinal centerline of the femur.
  - (4) Guide the pendulum so that there is no significant lateral vertical or rotational movement at the time of initial contact between the impactor and the knee.
  - (5) The test probe velocity at the time of contact shall be 2.1 ±0.03 m/s (6.9 ±0.1 ft/s).
  - (6) No suspension hardware, suspension cables, or any other attachments to the probe, including the velocity vane, shall make contact with the dummy during the test.

## Notes

### Amendments

[65 FR 10968, Mar. 1, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 46415, July 15, 2002; 90 FR 264, Jan. 3, 2025]

### Source

Source: 65 FR 10968, Mar. 1, 2000, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117 and 30166; delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.95

### Amendments

[65 FR 10968, Mar. 1, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 46415, July 15, 2002; 90 FR 264, Jan. 3, 2025]