Traumatic axonal injury: Clinic, forensic and biomechanics perspectives

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Forensic Pathology
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Traumatic axonal injury (TAI) identification is vital for patient prognosis and medico-legal assessments.
• Accurate TAI diagnosis aids in determining causality between trauma and patient outcomes.
• Multidisciplinary approaches are essential for comprehensive TAI evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review techniques for identifying axonal lesions.
• To elucidate the mechanisms underlying TAI formation.
• To highlight the role of advanced computational models in TAI analysis.

Main Methods:

• Review of imaging techniques for assessing trauma consequences and indirect TAI signs.
• Application of microscopic and immunohistochemical methods for early TAI detection.
• Utilizing finite element models (FEM) to predict biomechanical parameters and injury risk.

Main Results:

• Imaging provides insights into trauma effects, TAI indicators, and prognosis.
• Microscopy and immunohistochemistry are reliable for early TAI identification.
• FEM, integrated with imaging data, enables personalized computational models for forensic applications.

Conclusions:

• A combination of imaging, histology, and computational modeling offers a robust approach to TAI identification.
• Personalized finite element models enhance the forensic utility of TAI analysis.
• Understanding TAI mechanisms is critical for improving clinical and legal outcomes.