Skull Flexure from Blast Waves: A Mechanism for Brain Injury with Implications for Helmet Design

Journal Article · Thu Apr 30 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.108702· OSTI ID:966227

Moss, W C; King, M J; Blackman, E G

Traumatic brain injury [TBI] has become a signature injury of current military conflicts, with debilitating, costly, and long-lasting effects. Although mechanisms by which head impacts cause TBI have been well-researched, the mechanisms by which blasts cause TBI are not understood. From numerical hydrodynamic simulations, we have discovered that non-lethal blasts can induce sufficient skull flexure to generate potentially damaging loads in the brain, even without a head impact. The possibility that this mechanism may contribute to TBI has implications for injury diagnosis and armor design.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 966227
• Report Number(s): LLNL-JRNL-412717; PRLTAO; TRN: US200921%%325
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 10; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUMM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
42 ENGINEERING
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
ARMOR
BRAIN
DESIGN
DIAGNOSIS
HYDRODYNAMICS
SKULL