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A 3-D Finite-Element Minipig Model to Assess Brain Biomechanical Responses to Blast Exposure
Aravind Sundaramurthy1,2, Vivek Bhaskar Kote1,2, Noah Pearson3
1Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, United States Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD, United States.
Researchers developed a 3D finite-element model of the minipig head to study blast wave brain injuries. The model accurately predicts pressure and shows how the vasculature affects strain distribution.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
- Computational Modeling
Background:
- The effects of explosion-induced blast waves on the human brain remain unclear.
- Animal models are crucial for developing scaling laws to predict human brain injuries from blast exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a high-fidelity 3D finite-element (FE) model of the Göttingen minipig head.
- To establish correlates between experimentally observed blast-induced brain injuries and model-predicted biomechanical responses.
Main Methods:
- Performed laboratory experiments on Göttingen minipigs to map cerebral vasculature and characterize tissue properties.
- Developed a 3D FE model incorporating detailed vasculature and species-specific material properties.
- Validated the model using shock-tube experiments exposing pigs to blast overpressure and comparing pressure measurements.
Main Results:
- The FE model showed good agreement with experimental pressure measurements ( < 6% difference).
- Including the cerebral vasculature reduced overall brain strain but did not alter pressure predictions.
- Vasculature inclusion caused significant strain redistribution (up to 100%) near tissue-vasculature interfaces.
Conclusions:
- The validated FE model provides a reliable tool for studying blast wave biomechanics in the brain.
- The cerebral vasculature significantly influences strain distribution, not just magnitude, in blast-exposed brains.
- This research facilitates the creation of scaling laws for predicting human brain injury from blast waves.
