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Spatial distribution of human arachnoid trabeculae.
Nikolaus Benko1, Emma Luke2, Yousef Alsanea1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Journal of Anatomy
|March 24, 2020
Summary
Arachnoid trabeculae (AT) distribution in the human brain is uneven, with more found superiorly and in frontal lobes. This finding is crucial for understanding traumatic brain injury (TBI) mechanics.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) involves axonal injury due to excessive brain deformation from head impact.
- Arachnoid trabeculae (AT) in the subarachnoid space influence brain deformation during impact.
- The spatial distribution and quantity of human cranial AT remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the spatial distribution of cranial arachnoid trabeculae (AT) in post-mortem human subjects.
- To establish a dataset for improving TBI computational models and microneurosurgical procedures.
Main Methods:
- In situ imaging of AT microstructure using optical coherence tomography (OCT) across the human brain surface.
- Segmentation of OCT images to quantify AT volume fraction (VF).
Main Results:
- Average AT volume fraction (VF) ranged from 22.0% to 29.2% across subjects.
- Significantly higher VF (12%) observed near the superior aspect of the brain (p < .005).
- Significantly higher VF (5%-10%) observed in the frontal lobes (p < .005).
Conclusions:
- Human cranial AT distribution is heterogeneous and region-dependent.
- This heterogeneity likely contributes to brain deformation patterns during TBI.
- Findings enhance understanding of TBI mechanics and inform computational modeling.
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