Insensitivity of tensile failure properties of human bridging veins to strain rate: implications in biomechanics of subdural hematoma.

The effects of strain rate on tensile failure properties of human parasagittal bridging veins were studied in eight unembalmed cadavers. While bathed in physiological saline at 37 degrees C, the intact vessel was stretched axially by a servo-controlled hydraulic testing machine at either a low strain rate of 0.1-2.5 s-1 or a high rate of 100-250 s-1. The mean ultimate stretch ratios for low and high strain rates, respectively, were 1.51 +/- 0.24 (S.D. n = 29) and 1.55 +/- 0.15 (n = 34), and the ultimate stresses were 3.24 +/- 1.65 (n = 17) and 3.42 +/- 1.38 MPa (n = 20). Neither difference between strain rates was significant (p greater than 0.45). Thus, our results do not support the hypothesis that sensitivity of the ultimate strain of bridging veins to strain rate explains the acceleration tolerance data for subdural hematoma in primates [Gennarelli, R. A. and Thibault, L. E. (1982) Biomechanics of acute subdural hematoma. J. Trauma 22, 680-686].

[1]  P. Löwenhielm.  Dynamic strain tolerance of blood vessels at different post mortem conditions. , 1978, Journal of bioengineering.

[2]  K Hirakawa,et al.  Statistical analysis of chronic subdural hematoma in 309 adult cases. , 1972, Neurologia medico-chirurgica.

[3]  J. Miller,et al.  Traumatic acute subdural hematoma: major mortality reduction in comatose patients treated within four hours. , 1981, The New England journal of medicine.

[4]  J W Melvin,et al.  Failure properties of passive human aortic tissue. I--uniaxial tension tests. , 1982, Journal of biomechanics.

[5]  T A Gennarelli,et al.  Influence of the type of intracranial lesion on outcome from severe head injury. , 1982, Journal of neurosurgery.

[6]  L. Thibault,et al.  Biomechanics of acute subdural hematoma. , 1982, The Journal of trauma.

[7]  W. Krauland.  Über die Quellen des akuten und chronischen subduralen Hämatoms , 1961 .

[8]  R. Haut,et al.  Age-dependent influence of strain rate on the tensile failure of rat-tail tendon. , 1983, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[9]  A H Fruin,et al.  Interhemispheric subdural hematoma. Case report. , 1984, Journal of neurosurgery.

[10]  T. Yamashima,et al.  Why do bridging veins rupture into the virtual subdural space? , 1984, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[11]  A L Rhoton,et al.  Microsurgical anatomy of the superficial veins of the cerebrum. , 1985, Neurosurgery.

[12]  E. Baer,et al.  Structure and mechanical properties of rat tail tendon. , 1980, Biorheology.

[13]  R Collins,et al.  Dynamic deformation experiments on aortic tissue. , 1972, Journal of biomechanics.

[14]  H. Masuzawa,et al.  Infantile acute subdural hematoma. Clinical analysis of 26 cases. , 1984, Journal of neurosurgery.

[15]  STRAIN RATE EFFECTS ON TENSILE FAILURE PROPERTIES OF THE HUMAN PARASAGITTAL BRIDGING VEIN AND THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERY AND JUGULAR VEINS OF FERRETS. , 1985 .

[16]  J. O'connell.  SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE CEREBRAL VEINS , 1934 .

[17]  K G Jamieson,et al.  Surgically treated traumatic subdural hematomas. , 1972, Journal of neurosurgery.