Simulating calculation of passenger brain tissue deformation during vehicle crash accident using finite element method / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To establish the plane strain model of brain tissues on mid-sagittal plane and discuss the relation between the brain tissue deformation and brain injury. Methods By referring to the computerized tomography pictures of the human body and using plane strain and finite element method (FEM), we applied plane strain hypothesis to establish a model for calculation of the brain tissue deformation caused by rotational inertia loading during vehicle crash accident. Results At the 12th ms, the shear strain field adjacent to parietal lobe reached 0.148 and the maximum positive shear stress located at white material of the cerebellum was up to 8 088.0 Pa. At the 28th ms, the maximum shear stress located at the cerebellum reached 900.9 Pa. Great shear strain existed in the cerebrospinal fluid region all the time and shear stress with large absolute value presented on the boundary of white matter and gray matter. Conclusions Under rotational inertia loading, the shear strain (stress) in brain tissues can lead to diffuse axonal injury. The uneven strain (stress) may cause serious avulsion damage in brain tissues.