Comparison of Intracranial Pressure by Lateral and Frontal Impacts - Validation of Computational Model

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death in the United States. The brain is among the most essential organs of the human body. From a mechanical stand point, different scenarios where a head comes in contact with a media has evolved a number of integrated protection devices. The scalp and skull, but also to a certain extent the pressurized subarchnoidal space and the dura matter, are the natural protections for the brain. However, these structures are not adapted to the dynamic loading conditions involved in modern road and sports accidents as well as blast injury scenarios. The consequence of this extreme loading is often moderate-to-severe TBI [1-15]. Injuries to the head constitute one of the major causes of death. Brain injury disables or kills someone in the United States every two and half minutes [2]. The annual hospitalization and rehabilitation cost has been estimated to be $33 billion per year in the US alone [14]. In the United States TBI is a leading cause of death for persons under age 45 [15]. TBI occurs every 15 seconds, see Figure 1. Approximately 5 million Americans currently suffer some form of TBI disability. The leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries and from blast injuries [12]. Thus, preventing these head injuries will not only enhance safety and quality of life but also save healthcare dollars.