Skull and facial bone injury biomechanics

The skull and facial bones are biomechanically complex. This chapter outlines existing research on the impact and fracture response of the skull and facial bones including the calvarium, maxilla, zygomatic bone, nasal bone, orbit, and mandible. The chapter begins with a discussion of biomechanically relevant anatomy and a discussion of injury severity scales for skull and facial fracture. Discussion includes a detailed description of the available research on impact tolerance of skull and facial bones. These studies show that impact and fracture response is strongly dependent on location, bony impact geometry, and contact area. The chapter concludes with an outline of the available, but limited, information on injury risk functions for skull and facial bones. These risk functions are restricted to skull fracture and maxilla/zygoma injury assessments.

Duke Scholars

Author Cameron R. Bass Biomedical Engineering