Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressurization within the Subarachnoid Trabeculae During Translational Head Impact

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major global health concern. The complexity of brain anatomy, including the trabeculae and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) enclosed within the opaque skull, makes it particularly challenging to fully understand the mechanisms of TBI. In particular, the role of the trabeculae in CSF pressurization has long been overlooked. This study aims to address this knowledge gap using a biomimetic head surrogate. The surrogate model, which incorporates artificial brain tissue and a porous, trabeculae-like structure, was subjected to translational impact testing. Acceleration and pressure responses were recorded in both the coup and contrecoup regions. The results reveal that the trabeculae structure plays a key role in modulating pressure dynamics by reducing peak pressures in both regions during impact. Cavitation bubble activity in the contrecoup region was significantly diminished, indicating a protective buffering effect that may help mitigate brain injury. These findings underscore the critical biomechanical function of trabeculae in head trauma and provide valuable insights into the development of advanced helmet designs and improved TBI prevention strategies.