Analysis of fracture characteristics of cranial bone for FE modelling

Verschueren, P.<sup>1</sup>; Delye, H.<sup>2</sup>; Berckmans, D.<sup>3</sup>; Verpoest, I.<sup>4</sup>; Goffin, J.<sup>2</sup>; Vander Sloten, J.<sup>1</sup>; Van der Perre, G.<sup>1</sup>

Affiliations

¹Division of Biomechanics and Engineering Design, K.U.Leuven, Belgium

²Division of Experimental Neurosurgery & Neuroanatomy, K.U.Leuven, Belgium

³Division M3-BioRes, K.U.Leuven, Belgium

⁴Division of Mechanical Metallurgy, K.U.Leuven, Belgium

Abstract and keywords

At K.U.Leuven, experimental skull fracture analysis is performed in the framework of bicycle helmet research. This particular work describes the testing of 191 cranial bone specimens to generate data for use in finite element modelling of the head. Specimens are taken from the parietal area of the head and are beam-shaped (approximately 1cm width, 5cm length). Specimen age ranges from early post mortem (fresh) to 20-30 years post mortem (embalmed). Results show Young's moduli ranging from 1.6 to 2.5 GPa for embalmed and from 2.3 to 5.4 GPa for fresh specimens. Fresh sample tests clearly showed a viscoelastic behaviour, which is not be observed in the embalmed specimen tests.

Keywords: cranial bone; cadavers; viscoelasticty; material properties

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Cited By (4)

Year	Entry
2009	Verschueren P. Biomechanical Analysis of Head Injuries Related to Bicycle Accidents and a New Bicycle Helmet Concept [PhD thesis]. Leuven, Belgium: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; July 2009.
2010	Delye H. Better Bicycle Head Protection by Improving the Knowledge of the Biomechanics of Head Injuries [PhD thesis]. Leuven, Belgium: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; March 2010.
2023	Li Y. Toward a Biofidelic and Repeatable Physical Head-Brain Model for Application in Blunt Impact [PhD thesis]. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta; 2023.
2008	Raymond DE. Biomechanics of Blunt Ballistic Temporo-Parietal Head Impact [PhD thesis]. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University; August 2008.