Experimental study on establishment of a 3D finite element model of human craniomaxillofacial region and its use in impact injury simulation

Abstract

Objective To develop a 3D finite element model for the human craniomaxillofacial region in an attempt to offer basis to the research of simulation of craniomaxillofacial injury. Methods A healthy adult male was submitted to head CT scan, and the data was imported into the Mimics 15.0 software for threshold segmentation and 3D reconstruction according to the classifications of bone tissue, skin tissue and subcutaneous tissue. The reconstruction data was imported into 3D reverse software Geomagic Studio 2012, and the images were optimized and the 3D model was generated. The three parts of the model were fitted according to the actual proportion using the 3D control software Solidworks 14.0, and then the boundary conditions were derived. Hypermesh 12.0 finite element processing software was used to build the volume mesh, and the model was established. Each layer of the model was given to the material parameters, and the simulation conditions were provided to test the model. Results This model was completely composed of volume meshes, including 214, 250 hexahedral meshes and 411, 920 nodes. This model can clearly show the stress distribution, the trend of fracture line, the displacement of fracture block of soft and hard tissue during the simulation, and the results are consistent with clinical practice. Conclusion A three-dimentional finite element model with good performance is established, which can be used for biomechamics simulation analysis of multiple sites on the head or the whole structure, and has a certain significance in clinical and scientific research. Key words: Biomechanics; Finite element analysis; Maxillofacial injuries; Computer simulation