The Role of Morphology and Residual Stress on Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a widespread pathology and one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among military personnel. Exploring the mechanics of brain tissue is critical to predicting intracranial brain deformation and injuries resulting from severe blast loading. The research reported in this dissertation is aimed at investigating three aspects of bTBI research: (1) to build a numerical method with the ability to capture the complex deformation induced by blast loading of the human brain, and (2) to investigate the effects of morphological and volumetric differences on human brain dynamics under blast loading, and (3) to determine residual stresses resulting from cortical folding during brain growth via simulations of volumetric tissue expansion.Although shear stress, cavitation, and severe pressure gradients are suspected to induce brain injury, the details of the ensuing neuropathological consequences are largely unknown. Recent advances in computational tools allow exploring neuropathological damages occurring in human brain tissue resulting from exogenous mechanical forces that are present during bTBI. In this computational study, the numerical model is developed by using explicit nonlinear dynamic code LS-Dyna using Multi-Material Arbitrary Lagrange Eulerian formulation.In addition, this report includes a finite element analysis implemented with ABAQUS to predict the emerging morphological patterns and residual stresses of a developing brain as a result of cortical folding. One aim of the systematic approach presented in this research is to develop computational procedures that can assist in obtaining a prognosis and choosing adequate neurosurgical procedures before a physical intervention is needed.