1
|
Chen S, Kleiven S, Thiblin I, Li X. Quantitative morphological analysis framework of infant cranial sutures and fontanelles based on CT images. J Anat 2024; 245:377-391. [PMID: 38720634 PMCID: PMC11306764 DOI: 10.1111/joa.14056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Characterizing the suture morphological variation is a crucial step to investigate the influence of sutures on infant head biomechanics. This study aimed to establish a comprehensive quantitative framework for accurately capturing the cranial suture and fontanelle morphologies in infants. A total of 69 CT scans of 2-4 month-old infant heads were segmented to identify semilandmarks at the borders of cranial sutures and fontanelles. Morphological characteristics, including length, width, sinuosity index (SI), and surface area, were measured. For this, an automatic method was developed to determine the junction points between sutures and fontanelles, and thin-plate-spline (TPS) was utilized for area calculation. Different dimensionality reduction methods were compared, including nonlinear and linear principal component analysis (PCA), as well as deep-learning-based variational autoencoder (VAE). Finally, the significance of various covariates was analyzed, and regression analysis was performed to establish a statistical model relating morphological parameters with global parameters. This study successfully developed a quantitative morphological framework and demonstrate its application in quantifying morphologies of infant sutures and fontanelles, which were shown to significantly relate to global parameters of cranial size, suture SI, and surface area for infants aged 2-4 months. The developed framework proved to be reliable and applicable in extracting infant suture morphology features from CT scans. The demonstrated application highlighted its potential to provide valuable insights into the morphologies of infant cranial sutures and fontanelles, aiding in the diagnosis of suture-related skull fractures. Infant suture, Infant fontanelle, Morphological variation, Morphology analysis framework, Statistical model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Chen
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health SystemsKTH – Royal Institute of TechnologyHuddingeSweden
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health SystemsKTH – Royal Institute of TechnologyHuddingeSweden
| | - Ingemar Thiblin
- Forensic Medicine, Department of Surgical SciencesUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Xiaogai Li
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health SystemsKTH – Royal Institute of TechnologyHuddingeSweden
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Henningsen MJ, Lindgren N, Kleiven S, Li X, Jacobsen C, Villa C. Subject-specific finite element head models for skull fracture evaluation-a new tool in forensic pathology. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:1447-1458. [PMID: 38386034 PMCID: PMC11164801 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03186-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) enables the creation of subject-specific 3D head models suitable for quantitative analysis such as finite element analysis (FEA). FEA of proposed traumatic events is an objective and repeatable numerical method for assessing whether an event could cause a skull fracture such as seen at autopsy. FEA of blunt force skull fracture in adults with subject-specific 3D models in forensic pathology remains uninvestigated. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of FEA for skull fracture analysis in routine forensic pathology. Five cases with blunt force skull fracture and sufficient information on the kinematics of the traumatic event to enable numerical reconstruction were chosen. Subject-specific finite element (FE) head models were constructed by mesh morphing based on PMCT 3D models and A Detailed and Personalizable Head Model with Axons for Injury Prediction (ADAPT) FE model. Morphing was successful in maintaining subject-specific 3D geometry and quality of the FE mesh in all cases. In three cases, the simulated fracture patterns were comparable in location and pattern to the fractures seen at autopsy/PMCT. In one case, the simulated fracture was in the parietal bone whereas the fracture seen at autopsy/PMCT was in the occipital bone. In another case, the simulated fracture was a spider-web fracture in the frontal bone, whereas a much smaller fracture was seen at autopsy/PMCT; however, the fracture in the early time steps of the simulation was comparable to autopsy/PMCT. FEA might be feasible in forensic pathology in cases with a single blunt force impact and well-described event circumstances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Jon Henningsen
- Section of Forensic Pathology, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Natalia Lindgren
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xiaogai Li
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christina Jacobsen
- Section of Forensic Pathology, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Chiara Villa
- Section of Forensic Pathology, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang JM, Li ZD, Cai CS, Fan Y, Liao XB, Zhang F, Zhang JH, Zou DH. Parametric analysis of craniocerebral injury mechanism in pedestrian traffic accidents based on finite element methods. Chin J Traumatol 2024; 27:187-199. [PMID: 38631945 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjtee.2024.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The toughest challenge in pedestrian traffic accident identification lies in ascertaining injury manners. This study aimed to systematically simulate and parameterize 3 types of craniocerebral injury including impact injury, fall injury, and run-over injury, to compare the injury response outcomes of different injury manners. METHODS Based on the total human model for safety (THUMS) and its enhanced human model THUMS-hollow structures, a total of 84 simulations with 3 injury manners, different loading directions, and loading velocities were conducted. Von Mises stress, intracranial pressure, maximum principal strain, cumulative strain damage measure, shear stress, and cranial strain were employed to analyze the injury response of all areas of the brain. To examine the association between injury conditions and injury consequences, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, linear regression, and stepwise linear regression were utilized. RESULTS There is a significant correlation observed between each criterion of skull and brain injury (p < 0.01 in all Pearson correlation analysis results). A 2-phase increase of cranio-cerebral stress and strain as impact speed increases. In high-speed impact (> 40 km/h), the Von Mises stress on the skull was with a high possibility exceed the threshold for skull fracture (100 MPa). When falling and making temporal and occipital contact with the ground, the opposite side of the impacted area experiences higher frequency stress concentration than contact at other conditions. Run-over injuries tend to have a more comprehensive craniocerebral injury, with greater overall deformation due to more adequate kinetic energy conduction. The mean value of maximum principal strain of brain and Von Mises stress of cranium at run-over condition are 1.39 and 403.8 MPa, while they were 1.31, 94.11 MPa and 0.64, 120.5 MPa for the impact and fall conditions, respectively. The impact velocity also plays a significant role in craniocerebral injury in impact and fall loading conditions (the p of all F-test < 0.05). A regression equation of the craniocerebral injury manners in pedestrian accidents was established. CONCLUSION The study distinguished the craniocerebral injuries caused in different manners, elucidated the biomechanical mechanisms of craniocerebral injury, and provided a biomechanical foundation for the identification of craniocerebral injury in legal contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ming Wang
- Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Shanghai, 200063, China
| | - Zheng-Dong Li
- Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Shanghai, 200063, China
| | - Chang-Sheng Cai
- Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Shanghai, 200063, China; School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China
| | - Ying Fan
- Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Shanghai, 200063, China
| | - Xin-Biao Liao
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Pathology, Ministry of Public Security PR China, Guangzhou, 510050, China
| | - Fu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Pathology, Ministry of Public Security PR China, Guangzhou, 510050, China
| | - Jian-Hua Zhang
- Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Shanghai, 200063, China
| | - Dong-Hua Zou
- Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Shanghai, 200063, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lindgren N, Henningsen MJ, Jacobsen C, Villa C, Kleiven S, Li X. Prediction of skull fractures in blunt force head traumas using finite element head models. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2024; 23:207-225. [PMID: 37656360 PMCID: PMC10902046 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-023-01768-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic head injuries remain a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Although skull fractures are one of the most common head injuries, the fundamental mechanics of cranial bone and its impact tolerance are still uncertain. In the present study, a strain-rate-dependent material model for cranial bone has been proposed and implemented in subject-specific Finite Element (FE) head models in order to predict skull fractures in five real-world fall accidents. The subject-specific head models were developed following an established image-registration-based personalization pipeline. Head impact boundary conditions were derived from accident reconstructions using personalized human body models. The simulated fracture lines were compared to those visible in post-mortem CT scans of each subject. In result, the FE models did predict the actual occurrence and extent of skull fractures in all cases. In at least four out of five cases, predicted fracture patterns were comparable to ones from CT scans and autopsy reports. The tensile material model, which was tuned to represent rate-dependent tensile data of cortical skull bone from literature, was able to capture observed linear fractures in blunt indentation loading of a skullcap specimen. The FE model showed to be sensitive to modeling parameters, in particular to the constitutive parameters of the cortical tables. Nevertheless, this study provides a currently lacking strain-rate dependent material model of cranial bone that has the capacity to accurately predict linear fracture patterns. For the first time, a procedure to reconstruct occurrences of skull fractures using computational engineering techniques, capturing the all-in-all fracture initiation, propagation and final pattern, is presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Lindgren
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Mikkel J Henningsen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christina Jacobsen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Chiara Villa
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xiaogai Li
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Albalkhi I, Biswas A, Mankad K. Single impact trauma and bilateral skull fractures in infants. Pediatr Radiol 2023; 53:2759-2760. [PMID: 37851021 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-023-05786-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahem Albalkhi
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, KSA, Saudi Arabia.
- Department of Neuroradiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.
| | - Asthik Biswas
- Department of Neuroradiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Kshitij Mankad
- Department of Neuroradiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Villa C, Lynnerup N, Jacobsen C. A Virtual, 3D Multimodal Approach to Victim and Crime Scene Reconstruction. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2764. [PMID: 37685302 PMCID: PMC10486680 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13172764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, forensic pathology and crime scene investigations have seen a rapid increase in examination tools due to the implementation of several imaging techniques, e.g., CT and MR scanning, surface scanning and photogrammetry. These tools encompass relatively simple visualization tools to powerful instruments for performing virtual 3D crime scene reconstructions. A multi-modality and multiscale approach to a crime scene, where 3D models of victims and the crime scene are combined, offers several advantages. A permanent documentation of all evidence in a single 3D environment can be used during the investigation phases (e.g., for testing hypotheses) or during the court procedures (e.g., to visualize the scene and the victim in a more intuitive manner). Advanced computational approaches to understand what might have happened during a crime can also be applied by, e.g., performing a virtual animation of the victim in the actual context, which can provide important information about possible dynamics during the event. Here, we present an overview of the different techniques and modalities used in forensic pathology in conjunction with crime scene investigations. Based on our experiences, the advantages and challenges of an image-based multi-modality approach will be discussed, including how their use may introduce new visualization modalities in court, e.g., virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing. Finally, considerations about future directions in research will be mentioned.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Villa
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Frederik V’s Vej 11, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (N.L.); (C.J.)
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ortún-Terrazas J, Cegoñino J, Pérez Del Palomar A. In silico approach towards neuro-occlusal rehabilitation for the early correction of asymmetrical development in a unilateral crossbite patient. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2023; 39:e3688. [PMID: 36726272 DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Neuro-occlusal rehabilitation (N.O.R.) is a discipline of the stomatognathic medicine that defends early treatments of functional malocclusions, such as unilateral crossbite, for the correction of craniofacial development, avoiding surgical procedures later in life. Nevertheless, N.O.R.'s advances have not been proved analytically yet due to the difficulties of evaluate the mechanical response after the treatment. This study aims to evaluate computationally the effect of N.O.R.'s treatments during childhood. Therefore, bilateral chewing and maximum intercuspation occlusion were modelled through a detailed finite element model of a paediatric craniofacial complex, before and after different selective grinding-alternatives. This model was subjected to the muscular forces derived from a musculoskeletal model and was validated by the occlusal contacts recorded experimentally. This approach yielded errors below 2% and reproduced successfully the occlusal, muscular, functional and mechanical imbalance before the therapies. Treatment strategies balanced the occlusal plane and reduced the periodontal overpressure (>4.7 kPa) and the mandibular over deformation (>0.002 ε) on the crossed side. Based on the principles of the mechanostat theory of bone remodelling and the pressure-tension theory of tooth movement, these findings could also demonstrate how N.O.R.'s treatments correct the malocclusion and the asymmetrical development of the craniofacial complex. Besides, N.O.R.'s treatments slightly modified the stress state and functions of the temporomandibular joints, facilitating the chewing by the unaccustomed side. These findings provide important biomechanical insights into the use of N.O.R.'s treatments for the correction of unilateral crossbite, but also encourage the application of computing methods in biomedical research and clinical practise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ortún-Terrazas
- Escuela Superior de Ingeniería y Tecnología (ESIT), Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
- Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón (ITAINNOVA), Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - José Cegoñino
- Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón (ITAINNOVA), Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Torimitsu S, Nishida Y, Takano T, Yajima D, Inokuchi G, Makino Y, Motomura A, Chiba F, Yamaguchi R, Hoshioka Y, Iwase H. Statistical analysis of the thickness and biomechanical properties of Japanese children's skulls. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 344:111580. [PMID: 36753838 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The structure and strength of a child's skull are important in accurately determining what and how external forces were applied when examining head injuries. The aims of this study were to measure skull thickness and strength in children, evaluate sex differences, and investigate the correlation between skull thickness and strength and age. MATERIALS AND METHODS Skulls were obtained from 42 Japanese dead bodies under 20 years of age. During the autopsies, bone samples were taken from each skull. The length, width, and central thickness of the skulls were measured using calipers. Three-point bending tests were conducted, and bending load and displacement were recorded. Bending stress and bending strain were calculated, and Young's modulus, 0.2% proof stress, and maximum stress were obtained. RESULTS In cases under 1.5 years old, 14 out of 46 male samples and 20 out of 40 female samples did not fracture during the three-point bending test, though no significant sex differences were detected. No significant differences in age, sample thickness, Young's modulus, 0.2% proof stress, or maximum stress were detected between the sexes. The sample thickness, Young's modulus, 0.2% proof stress, and maximum stress increased significantly and logarithmically with age (R2 = 0.761-0.899). Although age correlated with thickness, Young's modulus, and maximum stress more in females than in males, 0.2% proof stress correlated slightly better in males than in females. CONCLUSION The skulls of preschool children, in particular, are thin, have low strength, and are at high risk of fracturing even with relatively small external forces. Unlike adults, no significant sex differences in skull thickness or strength were observed in children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suguru Torimitsu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
| | - Yoshifumi Nishida
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan; Artificial Intelligence Research Center (AIRC), The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan.
| | - Tachio Takano
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center (AIRC), The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Yajima
- Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, 4-3, Kozunomori, Narita, Chiba 286-8686, Japan.
| | - Go Inokuchi
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
| | - Yohsuke Makino
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
| | - Ayumi Motomura
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, 4-3, Kozunomori, Narita, Chiba 286-8686, Japan.
| | - Fumiko Chiba
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
| | - Rutsuko Yamaguchi
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
| | - Yumi Hoshioka
- Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
| | - Hirotaro Iwase
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Fiber orientation downsampling compromises the computation of white matter tract-related deformation. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2022; 132:105294. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
10
|
Henningsen MJ, Harving ML, Jacobsen C, Villa C. Fractures of the neuro-cranium: sensitivity and specificity of post-mortem computed tomography compared with autopsy. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:1379-1389. [PMID: 35084533 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02779-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) is a routine tool in many forensic pathology departments as it is fast and non-destructive and allows less gruesome visualization than photographs, and the images are indefinitely storable. Several studies investigated congruence between PMCT and autopsy for skull fracture but registered only the presence or absence of fracture systems. The objective of this study was to determine location-specific sensitivity and specificity of PMCT for individual fracture lines in blunt force head trauma. Accurate 3D models based on PMCT data with all fracture lines visible are important for future studies on fractures, applying finite element analysis (FEA). We retrospectively sampled adult cases from 2013 to 2019 with skull fracture mentioned in the autopsy report. PMCT was on a Siemens 64-slice scanner and autopsy according to international guidelines. The location and direction of all fracture lines at autopsy and at de novo interpretation of scans were registered and compared. Ninety-nine cases with 4809 individual findings were included. Age ranged from 18 to 100 years. The overall sensitivity was 0.58, and specificity was 0.91. For individual locations, sensitivity ranged from 0.24 to 0.85, and specificity ranged from 0.73 to 1.00. Intra-observer agreement was 0.74, and inter-observer agreement ranged from 0.43 to 0.58. In conclusion, PMCT is suited for detection of fracture systems, but not for detection of all individual fracture lines. Our results differed from the existing literature due to the methodological choices of registering individual fracture lines. Future studies utilising FEA must supplement PMCT with autopsy data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Jon Henningsen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Section of Forensic Pathology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Christina Jacobsen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Section of Forensic Pathology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Chiara Villa
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Section of Forensic Pathology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li X. Subject-Specific Head Model Generation by Mesh Morphing: A Personalization Framework and Its Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:706566. [PMID: 34733827 PMCID: PMC8558307 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.706566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Finite element (FE) head models have become powerful tools in many fields within neuroscience, especially for studying the biomechanics of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Subject-specific head models accounting for geometric variations among subjects are needed for more reliable predictions. However, the generation of such models suitable for studying TBIs remains a significant challenge and has been a bottleneck hindering personalized simulations. This study presents a personalization framework for generating subject-specific models across the lifespan and for pathological brains with significant anatomical changes by morphing a baseline model. The framework consists of hierarchical multiple feature and multimodality imaging registrations, mesh morphing, and mesh grouping, which is shown to be efficient with a heterogeneous dataset including a newborn, 1-year-old (1Y), 2Y, adult, 92Y, and a hydrocephalus brain. The generated models of the six subjects show competitive personalization accuracy, demonstrating the capacity of the framework for generating subject-specific models with significant anatomical differences. The family of the generated head models allows studying age-dependent and groupwise brain injury mechanisms. The framework for efficient generation of subject-specific FE head models helps to facilitate personalized simulations in many fields of neuroscience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogai Li
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhou Z, Li X, Liu Y, Fahlstedt M, Georgiadis M, Zhan X, Raymond SJ, Grant G, Kleiven S, Camarillo D, Zeineh M. Toward a Comprehensive Delineation of White Matter Tract-Related Deformation. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:3260-3278. [PMID: 34617451 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Finite element (FE) models of the human head are valuable instruments to explore the mechanobiological pathway from external loading, localized brain response, and resultant injury risks. The injury predictability of these models depends on the use of effective criteria as injury predictors. The FE-derived normal deformation along white matter (WM) fiber tracts (i.e., tract-oriented strain) recently has been suggested as an appropriate predictor for axonal injury. However, the tract-oriented strain only represents a partial depiction of the WM fiber tract deformation. A comprehensive delineation of tract-related deformation may improve the injury predictability of the FE head model by delivering new tract-related criteria as injury predictors. Thus, the present study performed a theoretical strain analysis to comprehensively characterize the WM fiber tract deformation by relating the strain tensor of the WM element to its embedded fiber tract. Three new tract-related strains with exact analytical solutions were proposed, measuring the normal deformation perpendicular to the fiber tracts (i.e., tract-perpendicular strain), and shear deformation along and perpendicular to the fiber tracts (i.e., axial-shear strain and lateral-shear strain, respectively). The injury predictability of these three newly proposed strain peaks along with the previously used tract-oriented strain peak and maximum principal strain (MPS) were evaluated by simulating 151 impacts with known outcome (concussion or non-concussion). The results preliminarily showed that four tract-related strain peaks exhibited superior performance than MPS in discriminating concussion and non-concussion cases. This study presents a comprehensive quantification of WM tract-related deformation and advocates the use of orientation-dependent strains as criteria for injury prediction, which may ultimately contribute to an advanced mechanobiological understanding and enhanced computational predictability of brain injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xiaogai Li
- Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yuzhe Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Madelen Fahlstedt
- Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marios Georgiadis
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Xianghao Zhan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Samuel J Raymond
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Gerald Grant
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Neuronic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Camarillo
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Michael Zeineh
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Yan J, He J, Spear A, Coats B. The Effect of Impact Angle and Fall Height on Skull Fracture Patterns in Infants. J Biomech Eng 2021; 143:071004. [PMID: 33704377 DOI: 10.1115/1.4050460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Skull fracture is a common finding for both accidental and abusive head trauma in infants and young children, and may provide important clues as to the energy and directionality of the event leading to the skull fracture. However, little is understood regarding the mechanics of skull fracture in the pediatric skull, and how accidental fall parameters contribute to skull fracture patterns. The objectives of this research were to utilize a newly developed linear elastic fracture mechanics finite element model of infant skull fracture to investigate the effect of impact angle and fall height on the predictions of skull fracture patterns in infants. Nine impact angles of right parietal bone impacts were simulated from three different heights onto a rigid plate. The average ± standard deviation of the distance between the impact location and fracture initiation site was 8.0 ± 5.9 mm. Impact angle significantly affected the fracture initiation site (p < 0.0001) and orientation (p < 0.0001). A 15 deg variation in impact angle changed the initiation site up to 47 mm. The orientation of the fracture pattern was dependent on the impact location and ran either horizontal or vertical toward the ossification center of the bone. Fall height significantly affected the fracture length (p = 0.0356). Specifically, at the same impact angle, a 0.3 m increase in fall height increased the skull fracture length by 21.39 ± 34.26 mm. These data indicate that environmental variability needs to be carefully considered when evaluating infant skull fracture patterns from low-height falls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Yan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Junyan He
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Ashely Spear
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Brittany Coats
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Metcalf RM, Comstock JM, Coats B. High-Rate Anisotropic Properties in Human Infant Parietal and Occipital Bone. J Biomech Eng 2021; 143:061010. [PMID: 33564856 DOI: 10.1115/1.4050127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Computational models of infant head impact are limited by the paucity of infant cranial bone material property data, particularly with regard to the anisotropic relationships created by the trabecular fibers in infant bone. We previously reported high-rate material property data for human infant cranial bone tested perpendicular to trabeculae fiber orientation. In this study, we measure the anisotropic properties of human infant cranial bone by analyzing bending modulus parallel to the trabeculae fibers. We tested human bone specimens from nine donors ranging in age from 32 weeks gestational age to 10 months at strain rates of 12.3-30.1 s-1. Bending modulus significantly increased with donor age (p=0.008) and was 13.4 times greater along the fiber direction compared to perpendicular to the fibers. Ultimate stress was greater by 5.1 times when tested parallel to the fibers compared to perpendicular (p=0.067). Parietal bone had a higher modulus and ultimate stress compared to occipital bone, but this trend was not significant, as previously shown perpendicular to fiber orientation. Combined, these data suggest that the pediatric skull is highly age-dependent, anisotropic, and regionally dependent. The incorporation of these characteristics in finite element models of infant head impact will be necessary to advance pediatric head injury research and further our understanding of the mechanisms of head injury in children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Metcalf
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, 1495 E 100 S (1550 MEK), Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Jessica M Comstock
- Pediatric Pathology, Primary Children's Hospital, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
| | - Brittany Coats
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, 1495 E 100 S (1550 MEK), Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Sensitivity of material model parameters on finite element models of infant head impacts. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2021; 20:1675-1688. [PMID: 34047892 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-021-01469-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Finite element (FE) models of human infant heads can be used in forensic investigations to infer whether a given pattern of head injuries could have resulted from a hypothetical scenario. This requires accurate models of the behaviour of the head tissues. Material models for human infant head tissues have been developed using experimental data from both infant and adult tissues. Experimental data for infants are scarce due to ethical considerations. To guide future experimental work, a sensitivity analysis of the material model parameters was conducted on a FE model of an infant occipital head impact. A simplified head geometry, consisting of the scalp, skull, suture and brain, was impacted onto a rigid anvil at a speed equivalent to a drop height of 0.3 m. The scalp, suture and brain were represented using hyperelastic material models, while an isotropic elastic model was used for the skull. Three hundred simulations were performed, with the material model parameters varied in each. Spearman's rank correlation was used to determine the influence of each parameter on selected outputs which predict injury level. The elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio for the skull were the most important parameters, followed by the hyperelastic constants for the brain, scalp and suture. It is recommended that future research prioritises increasing experimental datasets of skull elastic modulus, especially at higher loading rates, followed by obtaining data for the skull Poisson's ratio. The results from this sensitivity analysis can ensure that future experimental work makes the best use of scarce tissues.
Collapse
|
16
|
Chen Y. Current state and progress of research on forensic biomechanics in China. Forensic Sci Res 2021; 6:1-12. [PMID: 34007511 PMCID: PMC8112827 DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2021.1879365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Forensic biomechanics gradually has become a significant component of forensic science. Forensic biomechanics is evidence-based science that applies biomechanical principles and methods to forensic practice, which has constituted one of the most potential research areas. In this review, we introduce how finite element techniques can be used to simulate forensic cases, how injury criteria and injury scales can be used to describe injury severity, and how tests of postmortem human subjects and dummy can be used to provide essential validation data. This review also describes research progress and new applications of forensic biomechanics in China.Key pointsThe review shows the main research progress and new applications of forensic biomechanics in China.The review introduces eight cases about the application of forensic biomechanics, including the multiple rigid body reconstruction, the finite element applications, study of mechanical properties, traffic crash reconstruction based on multiple techniques and analysis of morphomechanical mechanism about blood dispersal.Though forensic biomechanics has a great advantage for the evaluation of injury mechanisms, it still has some uncertainties owing to the uniqueness of the human anatomy, the complexity of biological materials, and the uncertainty of injury-causing circumstances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yijiu Chen
- Shanghai Key Lab of Forensic Medicine, Key Lab of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Rowbotham SK, Blumenthal R, Delabarde T, Legrand L, van der Walt E, Sutherland T, Lockhat Z, Arthurs OJ. An evaluation of the differences in paediatric skeletal trauma between fatal simple short falls and physical abuse blunt impact loads: An international multicentre pilot study. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 323:110788. [PMID: 33915490 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In cases where a deceased child exhibits trauma as a result of a physical abuse blunt impact load, a parent/caregiver may provide a simple short fall (SSF) as the justification for that trauma. The skeletal fractures remain difficult to differentiate between a SSF and physical abuse however, as both are the result of a blunt impact load, and are therefore biomechanically alike, and the rare nature of these fatalities means only anecdotal research has been available to validate such claims. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate if there may be differences in the skeletal fracture patterns and types resulting from SSFs compared with those resulting from physical abuse blunt impacts. Paediatric (<10 years) cases of fatal SSFs (≤1.5 m) and physical abuse were collected from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (Australia), Institut Médico-Légal de Paris (France), University of Pretoria (South Africa) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (England). For each case the intrinsic and extrinsic variables were recorded from medico-legal reports and skeletal trauma was documented using post-mortem computed tomography scans and/or skeletal surveys. Three SSFs and 18 physical abuse cases were identified. Of the SSF cases, two exhibited fractures; both of which were simple linear neurocranial fractures. Comparatively, 12 of the physical abuse cases exhibited fractures and these were distributed across the skeleton; 58% located only in the skull, 17% only in the post-cranial and 25% located in both. Skull fracture types were single linear, multiple linear and comminuted. This pilot study suggests, anecdotally, there may be differences in the fracture patterns and types between blunt impact loads resulting from a SSF and physical abuse. This data will form the foundation of the Registry of Paediatric Fatal Fractures (RPFF) which, with further multicentre contributions, would allow this finding to be validated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha K Rowbotham
- Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, Victoria 3006, Australia; Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, Victoria 3006, Australia.
| | - Ryan Blumenthal
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pathology Building, 5 Bophelo Rd, Prinshof Campus, 0084, South Africa
| | - Tania Delabarde
- Institut Médico-Légal de Paris, 2 Voie Mazas, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Laurence Legrand
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Service d'Imagerie Morphologique et Fonctionnelle, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, 1 Rue Cabanis, 75674 Paris Cedex 14, France
| | - Elizabeth van der Walt
- Department of Radiology, University of Pretoria, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Malherbe St, Riviera, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Tom Sutherland
- St Vincent's Hospital, 9 Princes St, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Gratton St, Melbourne 3010, Australia; Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, Victoria 3006, Australia
| | - Zarina Lockhat
- Department of Radiology, University of Pretoria, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Malherbe St, Riviera, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom; UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Li X, Zhou Z, Kleiven S. An anatomically detailed and personalizable head injury model: Significance of brain and white matter tract morphological variability on strain. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2021. [PMID: 33037509 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.20.105635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Finite element head (FE) models are important numerical tools to study head injuries and develop protection systems. The generation of anatomically accurate and subject-specific head models with conforming hexahedral meshes remains a significant challenge. The focus of this study is to present two developmental works: first, an anatomically detailed FE head model with conforming hexahedral meshes that has smooth interfaces between the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid, embedded with white matter (WM) fiber tracts; second, a morphing approach for subject-specific head model generation via a new hierarchical image registration pipeline integrating Demons and Dramms deformable registration algorithms. The performance of the head model is evaluated by comparing model predictions with experimental data of brain-skull relative motion, brain strain, and intracranial pressure. To demonstrate the applicability of the head model and the pipeline, six subject-specific head models of largely varying intracranial volume and shape are generated, incorporated with subject-specific WM fiber tracts. DICE similarity coefficients for cranial, brain mask, local brain regions, and lateral ventricles are calculated to evaluate personalization accuracy, demonstrating the efficiency of the pipeline in generating detailed subject-specific head models achieving satisfactory element quality without further mesh repairing. The six head models are then subjected to the same concussive loading to study the sensitivity of brain strain to inter-subject variability of the brain and WM fiber morphology. The simulation results show significant differences in maximum principal strain and axonal strain in local brain regions (one-way ANOVA test, p < 0.001), as well as their locations also vary among the subjects, demonstrating the need to further investigate the significance of subject-specific models. The techniques developed in this study may contribute to better evaluation of individual brain injury and the development of individualized head protection systems in the future. This study also contains general aspects the research community may find useful: on the use of experimental brain strain close to or at injury level for head model validation; the hierarchical image registration pipeline can be used to morph other head models, such as smoothed-voxel models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogai Li
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Zhou Zhou
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52, Huddinge, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
AlSahlawi A, Morantz G, Lacroix C, Saint-Martin C, Dudley RWR. Bilateral Parietal Skull Fractures in Infants Attributable to Accidental Falls. Pediatr Neurosurg 2021; 56:424-431. [PMID: 34352782 DOI: 10.1159/000516972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Multiple skull fractures, including bilateral parietal skull fractures (BPSFs) in infants are considered to be suspicious for abusive head trauma (AHT). The aim of this report is to describe a series of BPSF cases in infants which occurred due to accidental falls. METHODS We searched our neuroradiology database for BPSF in infants (<1 year old) diagnosed between 2006 and 2019; we reviewed initial presentation, mechanisms of injury, clinical course, head imaging, skeletal survey X-rays, ophthalmology, social work and child abuse physicians (CAP) assessments, and long-term follow-up. "Confirmed accidental BPSF" were strictly defined as having negative skeletal survey and ophthalmology evaluation and a CAP conclusion of accidental injury. RESULTS Twelve cases of BPSF were found; 3 were confirmed to be accidental, with a mean age at presentation of 3 months. Two infants had single-impact falls, and 1 had a compression injury; all 3 had small intracranial hemorrhages. None had bruises or other injuries, and all remained clinically well. A literature search found 10 similar cases and further biomechanical evidence that these fractures can occur from accidental falls. CONCLUSION While AHT should be kept in the differential diagnosis whenever BPSFs are seen, these injuries can occur as a result of accidental falls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aysha AlSahlawi
- Montreal Children Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gillian Morantz
- Montreal Children Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Caroline Lacroix
- Montreal Children Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Roy W R Dudley
- Montreal Children Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Li X, Zhou Z, Kleiven S. An anatomically detailed and personalizable head injury model: Significance of brain and white matter tract morphological variability on strain. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2020; 20:403-431. [PMID: 33037509 PMCID: PMC7979680 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-020-01391-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Finite element head (FE) models are important numerical tools to study head injuries and develop protection systems. The generation of anatomically accurate and subject-specific head models with conforming hexahedral meshes remains a significant challenge. The focus of this study is to present two developmental works: first, an anatomically detailed FE head model with conforming hexahedral meshes that has smooth interfaces between the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid, embedded with white matter (WM) fiber tracts; second, a morphing approach for subject-specific head model generation via a new hierarchical image registration pipeline integrating Demons and Dramms deformable registration algorithms. The performance of the head model is evaluated by comparing model predictions with experimental data of brain-skull relative motion, brain strain, and intracranial pressure. To demonstrate the applicability of the head model and the pipeline, six subject-specific head models of largely varying intracranial volume and shape are generated, incorporated with subject-specific WM fiber tracts. DICE similarity coefficients for cranial, brain mask, local brain regions, and lateral ventricles are calculated to evaluate personalization accuracy, demonstrating the efficiency of the pipeline in generating detailed subject-specific head models achieving satisfactory element quality without further mesh repairing. The six head models are then subjected to the same concussive loading to study the sensitivity of brain strain to inter-subject variability of the brain and WM fiber morphology. The simulation results show significant differences in maximum principal strain and axonal strain in local brain regions (one-way ANOVA test, p < 0.001), as well as their locations also vary among the subjects, demonstrating the need to further investigate the significance of subject-specific models. The techniques developed in this study may contribute to better evaluation of individual brain injury and the development of individualized head protection systems in the future. This study also contains general aspects the research community may find useful: on the use of experimental brain strain close to or at injury level for head model validation; the hierarchical image registration pipeline can be used to morph other head models, such as smoothed-voxel models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogai Li
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Zhou Zhou
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 141 52, Huddinge, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Brooks T, Zwirner J, Hammer N, Ondruschka B, Jermy M. Preliminary observations of the sequence of damage in excised human juvenile cranial bone at speeds equivalent to falls from 1.6 m. Int J Legal Med 2020; 135:527-538. [PMID: 32865692 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-020-02409-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
There is much debate within the forensic community around the indications that suggest a head injury sustained by a child resulted from abusive head trauma, rather than from accidental causes, especially when a fall from low height is the explanation given by a caregiver. To better understand this problem, finite element models of the paediatric head have been and continue to be developed. These models require material models that fit the behaviour of paediatric head tissues under dynamic loading conditions. Currently, the highest loading rate for which skull data exists is 2.81 ms-1. This study improves on this by providing preliminary experimental data for a loading rate of 5.65 ± 0.14 ms-1, equivalent to a fall of 1.6 m. Eleven specimens of paediatric cranial bone (frontal, occipital, parietal and temporal) from seven donors (age range 3 weeks to 18 years) were tested in three-point bending with an impactor of radius 2 mm. It was found that prompt brittle fracture with virtually no bending occurs in all specimens but those aged 3 weeks old, where bending preceded brittle fracture. The maximum impact force increased with age (or thickness) and was higher in occipital bone. Energy absorbed to failure followed a similar trend, with values 0.11 and 0.35 mJ/mm3 for age 3 weeks, agreeing with previously published static tests, increasing with age up to 9 mJ/mm3 for 18-year-old occipital bone. The preliminary data provided here can help analysts improve paediatric head finite element models that can be used to provide better predictions of the nature of head injuries from both a biomechanical and forensic point of view.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Brooks
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Johann Zwirner
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Niels Hammer
- Department of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Fraunhofer IWU, Dresden, Germany
| | - Benjamin Ondruschka
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mark Jermy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lisiak-Myszke M, Marciniak D, Bieliński M, Sobczak H, Garbacewicz Ł, Drogoszewska B. Application of Finite Element Analysis in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-A Literature Review. MATERIALS 2020; 13:ma13143063. [PMID: 32659947 PMCID: PMC7411758 DOI: 10.3390/ma13143063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In recent years in the field of biomechanics, the intensive development of various experimental methods has been observed. The implementation of virtual studies that for a long time have been successfully used in technical sciences also represents a new trend in dental engineering. Among these methods, finite element analysis (FEA) deserves special attention. FEA is a method used to analyze stresses and strains in complex mechanical systems. It enables the mathematical conversion and analysis of mechanical properties of a geometric object. Since the mechanical properties of the human skeleton cannot be examined in vivo, a discipline in which FEA has found particular application is oral and maxillofacial surgery. In this review we summarize the application of FEA in particular oral and maxillofacial fields such as traumatology, orthognathic surgery, reconstructive surgery and implantology presented in the current literature. Based on the available literature, we discuss the methodology and results of research where FEA has been used to understand the pathomechanism of fractures, identify optimal osteosynthesis methods, plan reconstructive operations and design intraosseous implants or osteosynthesis elements. As well as indicating the benefits of FEA in mechanical parameter analysis, we also point out the assumptions and simplifications that are commonly used. The understanding of FEA's opportunities and advantages as well as its limitations and main flaws is crucial to fully exploit its potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Lisiak-Myszke
- Maxillofacial Surgery Ward, Alfa-Med Medical Center, 85-095 Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Dawid Marciniak
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Manufacturing Technology, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (D.M.); (M.B.)
| | - Marek Bieliński
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Manufacturing Technology, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (D.M.); (M.B.)
| | - Hanna Sobczak
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (H.S.); (Ł.G.); (B.D.)
| | - Łukasz Garbacewicz
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (H.S.); (Ł.G.); (B.D.)
| | - Barbara Drogoszewska
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (H.S.); (Ł.G.); (B.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Injury Biomechanics of a Child’s Head: Problems, Challenges and Possibilities with a New aHEAD Finite Element Model. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10134467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem among children. The predominant causes of TBI in young children are motor vehicle accidents, firearm incidents, falls, and child abuse. The limitation of in vivo studies on the human brain has made the finite element modelling an important tool to study brain injury. Numerical models based on the finite element approach can provide valuable data on biomechanics of brain tissues and help explain many pathological conditions. This work reviews the existing numerical models of a child’s head. However, the existing literature is very limited in reporting proper geometric representation of a small child’s head. Therefore, an advanced 2-year-old child’s head model, named aHEAD 2yo (aHEAD: advanced Head models for safety Enhancement And medical Development), has been developed, which advances the state-of-the-art. The model is one of the first published in the literature, which entirely consists of hexahedral elements for three-dimensional (3D) structures of the head, such as the cerebellum, skull, and cerebrum with detailed geometry of gyri and sulci. It includes cerebrospinal fluid as Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and a detailed model of pressurized bringing veins. Moreover, the presented review of the literature showed that material models for children are now one of the major limitations. There is also no unambiguous opinion as to the use of separate materials for gray and white matter. Thus, this work examines the impact of various material models for the brain on the biomechanical response of the brain tissues during the mechanical loading described by Hardy et al. The study compares the inhomogeneous models with the separation of gray and white matter against the homogeneous models, i.e., without the gray/white matter separation. The developed model along with its verification aims to establish a further benchmark in finite element head modelling for children and can potentially provide new insights into injury mechanisms.
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
Periventricular injury is frequently noted as one aspect of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the presence of the ventricles has been hypothesized to be a primary pathogenesis associated with the prevalence of periventricular injury in patients with TBI. Although substantial endeavors have been made to elucidate the potential mechanism, a thorough explanation for this hypothesis appears lacking. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the human head with an accurate representation of the cerebral ventricles is developed accounting for the fluid properties of the intraventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as well as its interaction with the brain. An additional model is developed by replacing the intraventricular CSF with a substitute with brain material. Both models are subjected to rotational accelerations with magnitudes suspected to induce severe diffuse axonal injury. The results reveal that the presence of the ventricles leads to increased strain in the periventricular region, providing a plausible explanation for the vulnerability of the periventricular region. In addition, the strain-exacerbation effect associated with the presence of the ventricles is also noted in the paraventricular region, although less pronounced than that in the periventricular region. The current study advances the understanding of the periventricular injury mechanism as well as the detrimental effects that the ventricles exert on the periventricular and paraventricular brain tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Zhou
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Xiaogai Li
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Svein Kleiven
- Division of Neuronic Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Huddinge, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
He J, Yan J, Margulies S, Coats B, Spear AD. An adaptive-remeshing framework to predict impact-induced skull fracture in infants. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2020; 19:1595-1605. [DOI: 10.1007/s10237-020-01293-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
26
|
Dempsey N, Blau S. Evaluating the evidentiary value of the analysis of skeletal trauma in forensic research: A review of research and practice. Forensic Sci Int 2020; 307:110140. [PMID: 31958760 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding bone trauma characteristics is a fundamental component of forensic investigations that can assist in understanding the nature of blunt trauma related deaths. The variation of each blunt force trauma (BFT) injury is dependent on a magnitude of factors including, age, sex, health, angle of impact, impact mechanism, impact force and clothing, making BFT one of the more difficult area of trauma to interpret solely based on skeletal fractures. A detailed literature review was performed to assess the value and scientific rigour of the current research in forensic anthropology, forensic pathology and biomechanics that attempts to provide an objective framework in which forensic practitioners can assess and interpret BFT injuries. Four areas of research which investigate the analysis of BFT are examined. These included research involving experiments on animal models; experiments on human models (and synthetic models); computer modelling, and research/publications including 'mild', 'moderate' and 'severe' as descriptions of impact force, resulting from trauma. Also briefly discussed is how BFT research is framed within medicolegal contexts. While many published works have contributed to the understanding of the biomechanics of BFT, more research that can provide an objective means to accurately assess and interpret BFT injures is required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dempsey
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006, Australia.
| | - Soren Blau
- Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|