Int J Neurosci. 1990 Sep; 54(1-2): 101-17.

Biomechanics of head injury.

Demann D, Leisman G.

Clinical Arts Department, National Institute for Complementary Medicine, Manhasset, NY 11030.

The enormous incidence of closed head injury has resulted in employing the field of biomechanics as a means of predicting the site of a lesion, discovering, and understanding the forces acting during cranial impact. This paper indicates that the possibilities associated with trauma-induced lesions include: the establishment of large pressure gradients associated with damage resulting from absolute motion of the brain and its displacement relative to the skull; flexion-extension of the upper cervical cord; skull deformation and/or rotational acceleration. Analytical representations, inanimate and cadaver models and, experimental paradigms are presented and their behavioral implications discussed.