ANIMAL, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL MODELS FOR USE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED HEAD INJURY CRITERIA. VOLUME 1. FINAL REPORT

Integration of physical, analytical and animal models for diffuse axonal injury (DAI) with clinical and isolated tissue data shed light on the complex relationship between head motion and prolonged unconsciousness. Simple physical models of the head were used to investigate the influence of head size, brain shape, brain/skull adhesion and applied load on tissue injury (as indicated by 'intracranial' deformation). Deformation patterns of models accelerated at levels known to produce DAI were comapred to pathology data. Large deformations occurred in regions at high risk to injury. Animal data for DAI scaled to man using the physical and analytical models generated in this work led to the development of the first threshold for DAI in man. The modelling methods put forth in this work set the stage for similar investigations of other types of diffuse head injury, leading to the development of a family of injury-specific thresholds for man.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

  Department of Bioengineering & Department of Neurosurgery
  Philadelphia, PA  United States  19104-6315
• Authors:
  • Thibault, L
  • Gennerelli, T
  • Margulies, S
• Publication Date: 1989-3-15

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 283 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Animals; Brain; Head; Injuries; Mathematical models; Skull fractures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Head injuries; Models
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00601633
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-807 481
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1990 12:00AM