The use of accident reconstruction for the analysis of traumatic brain injury due to head impacts arising from falls

Doorly, M. C.; Gilchrist, M. D.

Affiliations

¹UCD School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin4, Ireland

Abstract and keywords

Brain injury is the leading cause of death in those aged under 45 years in both Europe and the USA. The objective of this research is to reconstruct and analyse real world cases of accidental head injury, thereby providing accurate data, which can be used subsequently to develop clinical tolerance levels associated with particular traumatic injuries and brain lesions. This paper looks at using numerical modelling techniques, namely multibody body dynamics and finite element methods, to reconstruct two real-life accident cases arising from falls. Preliminary results show the levels of acceleration of the head and deformation of brain tissue correspond well to those found by other researchers, suggesting that this method is suitable for modeling head-injury accidents.

Keywords: Impact biomechanics, Falls, Accident reconstruction, Head injury, Multibody dynamics

Links

DOI: 10.1080/10255840601003551

PubMed: 17145671

History

Revised: 2006-07-18

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2012	Post A, Oeur A, Hoshizaki B, Gilchrist MD. The influence of centric and non‐centric impacts to American football helmets on the correlation between commonly used metrics in brain injury research. In: Proceedings of the 2012 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 12-14, 2012; Dublin, Ireland.419-429.
2012	Kendall M, Post A, Rousseau P, Oeur A, Gilchrist MD, Hoshizaki B. A comparison of dynamic impact response and brain deformation metrics within the cerebrum of head impact reconstructions representing three mechanisms of head injury in ice hockey. In: Proceedings of the 2012 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 12-14, 2012; Dublin, Ireland.430-440.
2013	Zanetti K, Post A, Karton C, Kendall M, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Identifying injury characteristics for three player positions in American football using physical and finite element modeling reconstructions. In: Proceedings of the 2013 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 11-13, 2013; Gothenburg, Sweden.525-535.
2013	Kendall M, Post A, Zanetti K, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Comparison of dynamic versus static head impact reconstruction methodology by means of dynamic impact response and brain deformation metrics. In: Proceedings of the 2013 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 11-13, 2013; Gothenburg, Sweden.536-546.
2014	Walsh ES, Kendall M, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Dynamic impact response and predicted brain tissue deformation comparisons for an impacted Hybrid III headform with and without a neckform and torso masses. In: Proceedings of the 2014 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 10-12, 2014; Berlin, Germany.55-61.
2014	Post A, Karton C, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Analysis of the protective capacity of ice hockey helmets in a concussion injury reconstruction. In: Proceedings of the 2014 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 10-12, 2014; Berlin, Germany.72-80.
2015	Clark JM, Post A, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Determining the relationship between linear and rotational acceleration and MPS for different magnitudes of classified brain injury risk in ice hockey. In: Proceedings of the 2015 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 9-11, 2015; Lyon, France.168-179.
2016	Clark JM, Post A, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. The association among injury metrics for different events in ice hockey goaltender impacts. In: Proceedings of the 2016 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 14-16, 2016; Malaga, Spain.205-216.
2016	Post A, De Grau S, Ignacy T, Meehan A, Zemek R, Hoshizaki B, Gilchrist MD. Comparison of helmeted head impact in youth and adult ice hockey. In: Proceedings of the 2016 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 14-16, 2016; Malaga, Spain.194-204.
2016	Taylor K, Hoshizaki TB, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. Dynamic head response and maximum principal tissue strain for helmeted (American football) and non‐helmeted impacts. In: Proceedings of the 2016 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 14-16, 2016; Malaga, Spain.217-227.
2007	Elkin BS, Morrison B. Region-specific tolerance criteria for the living brain. Stapp Car Crash J. 2007;51:127-138. SAE 2007-22-0005.
2010	Rousseau P, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD, Post A. Estimating the influence of neckform compliance on brain tissue strain during a helmeted impact. Stapp Car Crash J. 2010;54:37-48. SAE 2010-22-0003.
2011	Forero Rueda MA, Cuia L, Gilchrist MD. Finite element modelling of equestrian helmet impacts exposes the need to address rotational kinematics in future helmet designs. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng. December 2011;14(12):1021-1031.
2013	Post A, Oeur A, Hoshizaki B, Gilchrist MD. Examination of the relationship between peak linear and angular accelerations to brain deformation metrics in hockey helmet impacts. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng. 2013;16(5):511-519.
2009	Motherway JA, Verschueren P, Van der Perre G, Vander Sloten J, Gilchrist MD. The mechanical properties of cranial bone: the effect of loading rate and cranial sampling position. J Biomech. September 18, 2009;42(13):2129-2135.
2012	Post A, Hoshizaki B, Gilchrist MD. Finite element analysis of the effect of loading curve shape on brain injury predictors. J Biomech. February 23, 2012;45(4):679-683.
2020	Karton C, Hoshizaki TB, Gilchrist MD. A novel repetitive head impact exposure measurement tool differentiates player position in National Football League. Sci Rep. 2020;10:1200.
2010	Elkin BS. Biomechanics and Biological Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury [PhD thesis]. Columbia University; 2010.
2009	Baumer TG. Material Property Documentation and Fracture Analyses of the Developing Skull [Master's thesis]. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University; 2009.
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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.
2019	Karton C. Profiling Brain Trauma in Professional American-Style Football and the Implications to Developing Neurological Injury [PhD thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2019.
2020	Paiement B. A Comparison of Brain Trauma Profiles Between Elite Men's Rugby Union 15s and Rugby Union 7s Game Play [Master's thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2020.
2022	Krbavac BP. Comparing Brain Trauma Profiles for U15 Ice Hockey Leagues With Standard and Modified Body Contact Rules [Master's thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2022.
2022	Larsen K. Comparison of Brain Strain Magnitudes Calculated Using Head Tracking Impact Parameters and Body Tracking Impact Parameters Obtained from 2D Video [Master's thesis]. University of Ottawa; 2022.
2012	Maltese MR. Traumatic Brain Injury Thresholds in the Pre-Adolescent Juvenile [PhD thesis]. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania; 2012.
2017	Sanchez EJ. Evaluation of the Efficacy of Head and Brain Injury Risk Functions [Master's thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; December 2017.