Development and validation of subject-specific finite element models for blunt trauma study

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Computational modeling
• Injury prevention

Background:

• Finite element (FE) models are crucial for understanding blunt impact trauma.
• Subject-specific models enhance the accuracy of predicting biomechanical responses.
• Accurate models are needed for developing effective injury prevention techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate subject-specific FE models of swine and human thoraxes and abdomens.
• To accurately and efficiently predict body responses to blunt impacts.
• To aid in the design of injury prevention techniques, equipment, and devices.

Main Methods:

• Reconstructed anatomies from X-ray computed tomography (CT) images to build FE meshes.
• Modeled the rib cage as an inhomogeneous beam structure with CT-derived parameters.
• Generated soft component meshes by mapping organ topology templates onto geometries.
• Validated swine models using 30 animal tests with acquired CT images, chest wall motions, lung pressures, and pathological data.
• Developed and scaled a human FE model from Visible Human Project CT data for post mortem human subject (PMHS) impact tests.

Main Results:

• FE calculations showed good agreement with experimental measurements in swine tests.
• Errors in calculated response time traces were within 10% for most swine tests.
• Calculated peak responses strongly correlated with experimental values.
• Simulated stress concentrations favorably matched injury locations in ribs, lungs, and livers.
• Calculated chest deformation in human models agreed well with PMHS test measurements.

Conclusions:

• The developed FE models accurately predict swine and human responses to blunt impacts.
• These models provide valuable insights into blunt thoracic and abdominal trauma.
• The validated models can significantly contribute to designing improved injury prevention strategies and devices.