An imaging-based computational and experimental study of skull fracture: finite element model development.

The development of a three-dimensional finite element model of the human skull is presented as a part of a novel imaging-based experimental and computational approach to study skull fracture. The rationale for this approach and its potential utility are presented. Mathematical model development, using computed tomography (CT) imaging data as a basis for collecting geometric characteristics of the skull, is given. The model includes anatomical detail of the cranial structure, accurate thickness distributions of the bone and soft tissue components, and density information that can be related to the elastic moduli of the various constituent materials. A procedure for generating the model from CT scan image data is presented. This procedure segments the head into cranial bone, facial, and scalp structures, and the brain.