DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF HUMAN SKULL MODEL

Jeet Kumar Kesharwani1, Ashish Pattanayak1, Abhay Pratap1, G. Venkatachalam2 and

S. Narayanan2

Graduate Students1 Faculty Members2

School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University

Vellore - 632014, India.

Abstract

Head injury is the serious injury experienced by road users, especially bike occupants. Head

injury analysis is difficult to study experimentally due to the variety of impact conditions

involved, as well as ethical issues. Finite element modeling is a comprehensive technique

through which human skull impact tolerance can be studied. In this study, a 3D model of

human skull is developed using Solidworks 2010 and finite element analysis is done on the

model using Autodesk Inventor Professional 2011. The assessment of the injurious effects of

different impact conditions on the human skull is studied. The human skull analysis, done

here, will be helpful in developing suitable protection equipment like helmet which will protect

riders and pillions from head injuries.

Keywords: Human Skull, FEA, 3D Model

1. Introduction
Worldwide, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the single largest cause of death and disability

following injury. Most TBI’s are due to road accidents. The WHO–World Bank Report, which

reviewed the disease transformation scenarios, indicates that road traffic injuries will be the third

leading cause of mortality by 2020, moving up from their present ninth position. The statistics

from India are even more alarming. Studies by traffic police have shown that on an average one

person dies every six min, 70% of these being directly attributable to head and spinal trauma.

The annual social costs of road accidents are estimated at Rs. 55,000 crores (3% of India’s

GDP). The accident rate of 35 per 1000 vehicles in India is also amongst the highest in the world

[1].

During an accident, the head receives basically two kinds of dynamic loads: A direct impact

applied directly to some portion of the skull and an indirect impact which involves forces

transmitted from the neck to the base of the skull possibly with additional non-localized, soft

contacts to the head. In this study, the direct impact load has been considered.

2. Literature Review

Many impact models of the human skull have been proposed in recent years. Many

geometrically complex models of the human skull were developed using the finite element

technique.

Z. Zong et al. developed a human head finite element model, consisting of the skull, the brain,

and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the neck, to assess injury likelihood of the head subjected to

impact loading [2]. K. Tanne et al. developed a three-dimensional model of the craniofacial

skeleton using a dry human skull, to investigate the biomechanical effect of a distally directed

orthopaedicforce on the craniofacial complex [3]. J. Motherway et al. developed a finite element
model of human skull for investigating cases of head impact injury and skull fracture. The

geometry of two human cadavers was determined by CT, MRI and sliced color photographs. A

three-dimensional finite element (3DFE) model was created using this CT data. The 3DFE model

of the skull-brain complex includes scalp, a 3-layered skull (outer and inner tables, dipole), dura,

CSF, pia, falx, tentorium, cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and brain stem [4]. P. G. Young used

a fluid filled spherical shell as a human skull model to investigate the various injurious effects of

different impact conditions [5]. A. Charalamhopoulos et al. studied the dynamic characteristics

of the human skull-brain system. They adopted a model consisted of a hollow sphere (skull), an

inviscid and irrotational fluid (cerebrospinal fluid), and a concentrically located inner elastic

sphere (brain) [6]. Ee Chon Teo developed a detailed three-dimensional head–neck finite

element (FE) model developed previously based on the actual geometry of a human cadaver

specimen. The three-dimensional FE models of the skull and cervical vertebrae accurately

duplicated the geometrical shapes, anatomy and spinal material characteristics of the head and all

cervical vertebrae of the human head–neck complex of a 68-year-old male cadaver specimen [7].

Andrew Boryor et al. developed a finite element (FE) model of a dry human male skull

generated from CT scans. The FE model consisted of cortical and cancellous bone and teeth. The

goal of their study was to contribute to an understanding of how much expansion force is needed

during a maxillary expansion (ME) and where bony reaction takes place [8].

3. Design of Human Skull

Design of the human skull is carried out using Solidworks 2010 which is shown in Fig. 1. The

skull is created as per average dimensions of the humans aged 30-40 yrs. The distance between

the fore head and the back is taken as 220 mm approximately and the height of the fore head is
taken as 90 mm. The skull is hollow of uniform thickness of 7 mm. The front of the face is

approximately 120 mm in length. The nose and eye slots are developed approximately.

Figure 1. Cad Model of Human Skull

4. Analysis of Human Skull

The analysis is carried out using Autodesk Inventor Professional 2011. The overall deformation

of skull cavity is analyzed under the external force. To simplify the analysis of deformation of

human skull, two assumptions are made. One is isotropy and other one is the human skull is

presumed to be everywhere uniform and there is no gap in bone. The bone material property

considered is given in Table 1. The portion shown in blue color in Fig. 2 is constrained and the

static analysis is carried out.

Table 1. Properties
 Material Bone
Density 2.3158 g/cm3
Mass 1.41128 kg
Area 202788 mm2
Volume 609413 mm3
Young`s Modulus 15.5 GPa
Poisson`s Ratio 0.276
Ultimate Compressive Strength 162.5 MPa
Yield Strength 110 MPa
Shear Modulus 6.07637 GPa

Figure 2. Portion constrained shown in blue

5. Results & Discussions

The results of the static analysis on the hollow solid human skull model are discussed below

depending on the loading and boundary conditions applied. All the cases are analyzed with one

material property applied to the whole model. Three cases are considered here.

In Case one, load is applied on the Top of the skull

Mesh Size Set 1 Set 2

Avg. Element Size 0.1 0.075

Min. Element Size 0.2 0.15

Grading Factor 1.5 Max. 1.5 Max

Turn Angle 60 deg 60 deg

The result for Von Misses stress for set 1 and set 2 is shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 respectively.

The result for displacement for set 1 and set 2 is shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 respectively.

Figure 3. Von Misses Stress for set 1

Figure 4. Von Misses Stress for set 2

Figure 5. Displacement for set 1

 Figure 6. Displacement for set 2

In Case two, load is applied on the Back of the skull.

Mesh Size Set 1 Set 2

Avg. Element Size 0.1 0.075

Min. Element Size 0.2 0 .15

Grading Factor 1.5 Max. 1.5 Max

Turn Angle 60 deg 60 deg

The result for Von Misses stress for set 1 and set 2 is shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 respectively.

The result for displacement for set 1 and set 2 is shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 respectively.
Figure 7. Von Mises stress for set 1

Figure 8. Von Mises stress for set 2

Figure 9.

Displacement for set 1

Figure
10.

Displacement for set 2

In Case three, Load is applied on the Jaw of the skull

Mesh Size Set 1Set 2

Avg. Element Size 0.1 0.075

Min. Element Size 0.2 0 .15

Grading Factor 1.5 Max. 1.5 Max

Turn Angle 60 deg 60 deg

The result for Von Misses stress for set 1 and set 2 is shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 respectively.

The result for displacement for set 1 and set 2 is shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 respectively.

Figure 11. Von Mises stress for set 1

Figure 12. Von Mises stress for set 2

Figure 13. Displacement for set 1

 Figure 14. Displacement for set 2

It is found that on varying the mesh size, the results vary slightly as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Results
SET 1 SET 2
No. of nodes 23903 38028
No. of elements 11928 19729

Max Von Misses Stress(Load on top) 174 MPa 146.7 MPa

Max Displacement(load on top) 0.2331 mm 0.2282 mm
Max Von Misses Stress(Load on back) 23.41 MPa 23.18 MPa
Max Displacement(load on back) 0.0234 mm 0.0190 mm
Max Von Misses Stress(Load on jaw) 537.7 MPa 566.5 MPa
Max Displacement(load on jaw) 1.823 mm 1.863 mm
6. Conclusion

The idea of this work was to develop an approximate model of human skull and to study the

effect of various impacts which were chosen arbitrarily. The model is developed with available

known features of Solidworks 2010. Although the model is not an exact human skull model and

needs a lot of refinement still it presents an easy way to develop a human skull model. Further, it

can be modified to construct any other available geometry. Analysis is done using Autodesk

Inventor 2011. It provides an opportunity to simulate different force systems. With slight change

in boundary and force systems, different impact conditions can be simulated and analyzed. Also

it is a much inexpensive method of studying head injury phenomenon than the experimental

studies which utilize dummies, cadavers, and animals etc. and require expensive and time

consuming research programs

But there are certain limitations of the work. As mentioned earlier, the skull is assumed to be

made of single material with same properties over the whole brain continuum i.e. isotropic in

nature and the real human skull differs a lot from the present model. The brain continuum of the

human head is not taken into consideration here. Thus it provides a lot of scope for future study.

For more real dynamic study of the head, the interior portions of the skull such as tissues,

viscoelastic fluids can be included and simulated for more real conditions. Two layered, three

layered models of different materials can be constructed for analysis. Neck assembly can be

included and static and dynamic analysis of the above mentioned models and conditions can be

carried out. The above models will give us a better understanding of the head dynamics with all

the interior portions included.

The above analysis result can be used to develop the protective helmet to safeguard vehicles

riders from suffering serious head injuries in road accidents. Based on the results, the area of the
skull on which the application of load produces maximum stress can be protected by reinforcing

the helmet with high strength materials thus preventing the load from transmitting or acting

directly on the skull.

Reference

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