ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effects from different contact areas of the instrument causing trauma on biomechanical response parameters of rabbit skull fractures under quasi-static compression conditions. Methods The rabbits were divided into the scalp preservation group and scalp removal group. Each group was subdivided into 3 mm group, 6 mm group, 9 mm group according to contact diameter of the instrument causing trauma. There were 9 rabbits in each group, 54 rabbits in total. All rabbits were put to death by over anesthesia and made into a skull compression model. An electronic universal material testing machine was used to perform quasi-static compression of rabbit skulls to fractures, and biomechanical response parameters such as ultimate load, deformation under ultimate load and compressive strength of rabbit skulls in each group were detected. Results The differences in ultimate load, deformation under ultimate load, and compressive strength of rabbit skulls in scalp preservation group and scalp removal group under different contact areas were statistically significant. The ultimate load was positively correlated with the contact area, and the compressive strength was negatively correlated with the contact area. No correlation was found between deformation under ultimate load and contact area. For scalp preservation group and scalp removal group, the difference in deformation under ultimate load was statistically significant in the 3 mm contact surface diameter group, and there was no statistical significance in the other groups. Conclusions The contact area is positively correlated with the ultimate load of rabbit skull fracture and negatively correlated with compressive strength, while it has no correlation with deformation under ultimate load and is unrelated to whether the scalp is removed.