Brain injury patterns in falls causing death

Manavis, J.; Blumbergs, P. C.; Scott, G.; North, J. B.; Simpson, D. A.; Ryan, G. A.; McLean, A. J.

Affiliations

¹Head Injury Laboratory, Division of Tissue Pathology, Institute of Medical & Veterinary Science

²Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital

³NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit, University of Adelaide

Abstract

The NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit at the University of Adelaide has developed procedures for studying the brain injury patterns in fatal head injury cases and relating these to estimates of the acceleration of the head. Information obtained from clinical records and police accident investigation reports were correlated with autopsy data and detailed neuropathological examination of the futed brain for each case.

The brain injury patterns resulting from impacts to the head in a series of 8 cases of falls from greater than the subjects’ height are compared with 10 cases of falls from the subject’s own height and related to estimates of the magnitude of the impacts.

Important factors associated with the pattern of brain injuries are the magnitude of the acceleration of the head, the location of the impact on the head, and the type of surface struck.

Cited Works (2)

Year	Entry
1989	Ryan GA, McLean AJ, Vilenius ATS, Kloeden CN, Simpson DA, Blumbergs PC. Head impacts and brain injury in fatally injured pedestrians. In: Proceedings of the 1989 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 13-15, 1989; Stockholm, Sweden.27-37.
1982	Gennarelli TA, Thibault LE. Biomechanics of acute subdural hematoma. J Trauma. 1982;22(8):680-686.

Cited By (6)

Year	Entry
1992	Willinger R, Ryan GA, McLean AJ, Kopp CM. Mechanisms of brain injury related to mathematical modelling and epidemiological data. In: Proceedings of the 1992 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 9-11, 1992; Verona, Italy.179-192.
1992	Willinger R, Kopp CM, Césari D. New concept of contrecoup lesion mechanism: modal analysis of a finite element model of the head. In: Proceedings of the 1992 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 9-11, 1992; Verona, Italy.283-297.
1994	Auer C, Beier G, Schuller E. Intracranial injuries of fatally injured pedestrians: a contribution to the establishment of tolerance limits. In: Proceedings of the 1994 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 21-23, 1994; Lyon, France.247-257.
1994	Willinger R, Taleb L, Viguier P, Kopp CM. Rotation-translation duality in head trauma? perceptive and objective evidence. In: Proceedings of the 1994 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 21-23, 1994; Lyon, France.63-76.
1995	Blumbergs PC, Scott G, Manavis J, Wainwright H, McLean AJ, Kloeden C, Simpson DA. Topography and quantitation of axonal injury as defined by amyloid precursor protein and the sector scoring method in lateral and occipital head impacts: a preliminary report. In: Proceedings of the 1995 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 13-15, 1995; Brunnen, Switzerland.199-216.
2018	Taylor K. The Use of Decoupling Structures in Helmet Liners to Reduce Maximum Principal Brain Tissue Strain for Head Impacts [PhD thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2018.