Development of a finite element model of decompressive craniectomy

Decompressive craniectomy (DC), an operation whereby part of the skull is removed, is used in the management of patients with brain swelling. While the aim of DC is to reduce intracranial pressure, there is the risk that brain deformation and mechanical strain associated with the operation could damage the brain tissue. The nature and extent of the resulting strain regime is poorly understood at present. Finite element (FE) models of DC can provide insight into this applied strain and hence assist in deciding on the best surgical procedures. However there is uncertainty about how well these models match experimental data, which are difficult to obtain clinically. Hence there is a need to validate any modelling approach outside the clinical setting. This paper develops an axisymmetric FE model of an idealised DC to assess the key features of such an FE model which are needed for an accurate simulation of DC. The FE models are compared with an experimental model using gelatin hydrogel, which has similar poro-viscoelastic material property characteristics to brain tissue. Strain on a central plane of the FE model and the front face of the experimental model, deformation and load relaxation curves are compared between experiment and FE. Results show good agreement between the FE and experimental models, providing confidence in applying the proposed FE modelling approach to DC. Such a model should use material properties appropriate for brain tissue and include a more realistic whole head geometry.