Abstract
Knowing the precise material properties of intracranial head organs is crucial for studying the biomechanics of head injury. It has been shown that these biological tissues are significantly rate-dependent; hence, their material properties should be determined with respect to the range of deformation rate they experience. In this paper, a validated finite element human head model is used to investigate the biomechanics of the head in impact and blast, leading to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). We simulate the head under various directions and velocities of impacts, as well as helmeted and unhelmeted head under blast shock waves. It is demonstrated that the strain rates for the brain are in the range of 36 to 241 s−1, approximately 1.9 and 0.86 times the resulting head acceleration under impacts and blast scenarios, respectively. The skull was found to experience a rate in the range of 14 to 182 s−1, approximately 0.7 and 0.43 times the head acceleration corresponding to impact and blast cases. The results of these incident simulations indicate that the strain rates for brainstem and dura mater are respectively in the range of 15 to 338 and 8 to 149 s−1. These findings provide a good insight into characterizing the brain tissue, cranial bone, brainstem and dura mater, and also selecting material properties in advance for computational dynamical studies of the human head.
Highlights
Intracranial head organs have been known to be the most sensitive organs involved in lifethreatening injuries caused by impact incidents and blast waves [1,2,3]
Brain, brainstem, and dura are highly rate-dependent materials and wCirlal nbieahlabvoende,iffaenrdenptalyrtiicnuvlaarrliyoubsrasitnra, ibnrariantestse.mIn, aonrddedrutorastaurde yhitghhelybiroamtee-cdheapneincds eonfttrmauatmeraitailcs barnadinwiniljlubryeh(TavBeI)dthifrfoeuregnhtlFyEinmvetahroioduss, isttirsaninecreastseasr.yIntooirmdeprletmo esntutdcyortrheectbpiroompeecrthiaesniacsssoocfiatrtaeudmwaittihc brain injury (TBI) through Finite element (FE) methods, it is necessary to implement correct properties associated with anticipated application rates
To calculate the material properties of the brain, brainstem, dura, and skull related to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) cases, we need to know for which range of strain rates they are required to be examined
Summary
Intracranial head organs have been known to be the most sensitive organs involved in lifethreatening injuries caused by impact incidents and blast waves [1,2,3]. Finite element (FE) simulations provide a convincing framework for determining biomechanical responses of the head exposed to those high rated loads [5] These numerical models have been introduced to predict brain deformation for different applied loads and study intracranial organ behavior under TBI conditions [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. The biofidelity of such computational simulations is strictly related to the accuracy of the material properties used to model these tissues. Soft biological materials such as brain and brainstem present complex mechanical responses characterized by large strains, load history, and rate sensitivity [21,22,23,24,25,26]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
