Finite Element Analysis of a Close Head Axonal Injury Model: Relating Brain Tissue Biomechanics to Skull Deformation

Biomechanical responses of a rat brain in a new weight-drop model were investigated by comparing histological results against finite element model predictions. This graded axonal injury rat model differed from others because of its utilization of intact skull without global angular motion to confound data analyses. Results demonstrated that the maximum principal strain and the compressive strain along the impact direction best correlated the experimentally observed injury locations while the shear strain did not have positive correlation.