3-D finite element analysis on brain injury mechanism

The purpose of this study is to discuss the mechanism of brain injury analytically by a cavitation phenomenon. Cavitation damage is assumed to be one of the causes brain injury. Performing the computer simulation of brain injury, it is not easy to incorporate the term of a cavitation occurrence in a governing equation. Therefore, we predict the cavitation occurrence from the results of stress, pressure, and displacement of the analytical model by FEM. Here, comparing frequency and pressure changes, we discussed the basic mechanism of brain injury analytically. First, a three-dimensional FEM model for impact analysis was presented. The high-pressure changes generated in the acrylic container at the time of impact were transmitted through this container, and the positive maximum pressure change was caused at the contrecoup side. Second, the results of the frequency analysis of pressure changes by a FFT were presented. We found spectrums in some frequency bands, which seemed to be the occurrence of the brain injury. From these results, it was found that the computer simulation methods were useful to predict the occurrence mechanism of contrecoup injury.