Impact Angle and Fall Height Effect Skull Fracture Patterns

m_bio_143_07_071004_f008Congratulations to Jiawei Yan on his recent publication The effect of impact angle and fall height on skujl fracture patterns in infants published in the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. The objectives of this research were to utilize a newly developed linear elastic fracture mechanics finite element model of infant skull fracture to investigate the effect of impact angle and fall height on the predictions of skull fracture patterns in infants. Nine impact angles of right parietal bone impacts were simulated from three different heights onto a rigid plate. Impact angle significantly affected the fracture initiation site and orientation. Fall height significantly affected the fracture length and linearity. These data indicate that environmental variability needs to be carefully considered when evaluating infant skull fracture patterns from low-height falls.

The full article can be read here: Yan, J., He, J., Spear, A., and Coats, B. “The Effect of Impact Angle and Fall Height on Skull Fracture Patterns in Infants.” ASME. J Biomech Eng. July 2021; 143(7): 071004. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4050460