Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials最新文献

{"title":"Experimentally measured lumbar skin strains during functional movements","authors":"Andrew Gibbons ,&nbsp;Paul McMullin ,&nbsp;Darian Emmett ,&nbsp;Ulrike H. Mitchell ,&nbsp;David T. Fullwood ,&nbsp;Anton E. Bowden","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107161","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107161","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There has been an influx of skin-adhered wearables that have begun to show promise for their ability to continuously monitor spinal kinematics based on skin deformation for assessing spine-related problems including low-back pain. However, a lack of information regarding the amount of stretch (or strain) that lumbar skin experiences when wearers perform uniplanar or multiplanar movements makes the designing of these wearables difficult. In this study, skin motion was measured using a relatively dense grid of small reflective markers during 6 uniplanar, 4 multiplanar, and 1 activity of daily living (ADL) movements of increasing functionality. These data were used to compute dynamic, inhomogeneous, anisotropic strain fields of lumbar skin based on large deformation strain theory. Of particular note, macroscopic principal strains were highest in Flexion, reaching averages as high as 103 %, with strain rates up to 151 % per second. Principal strain orientations were movement dependent. Males exhibited higher principal strains than females during Flexion (p = 0.0027) and Sit To Stand (p = 0.0453) motions. Repeatability was high between repetitions, ranging from 71.1 % (extension) to 97.2 % (Sit To Stand motion). Skin strain fields were sensitive to both underlying spinal geometry and dermal collagen fiber orientations. The results of this study are relevant to the precision of spinal-specific wearables when placed on different regions of the lumbar skin and may also have clinical relevance to choice of surgical incision orientation and wound care in the lumbar region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107161"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144878795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomechanical characterization of porcine skin under focal compressive loading with varied edge radii","authors":"Kyle L. Ondar,&nbsp;Eugene Ablordeppey,&nbsp;Philip J. Brown,&nbsp;Fang-Chi Hsu,&nbsp;Joel D. Stitzel,&nbsp;F. Scott Gayzik","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107163","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107163","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a lack of scientific literature on the biomechanics of skin injury under focal compressive loading at various edge radii. It is understood that interactions with very small edge radii produce laceration, but as edge radii increase, the injury mechanism transitions to focal compression, and the behavior of the dermis and epidermis is not well characterized. This study quantifies effects of penetration depth and contact area of blunt, rigid hemispherical edges on loading and subsequent skin injury. A total of 172 fresh porcine skin samples were tested under normal loading using five end effectors (radii ranging from 0.2 to 2 mm) and four depths of compression (75 %, 85 %, 90 %, 95 %). Injury was defined as disruption of the epidermis and dermis exceeding 33 % of sample thickness, analyzed via digital histological methods. Results showed a clear increasing linear trend in line load (N/mm) and histological depth by radius with specimen compression. Findings suggest that tissue rupture, and thus injury, is likely a strain-based event that initiates at greater than 75 % compression. Injury was not detected at 75 % compression for any end effector but became more frequent at 85 % compression and above. No clear stratification of injury data was observed by end effector, even though local stresses increased with decreasing radius. An injury risk curve based on a Weibull fit indicates that a line load of 72 N/mm yields a 5 % risk of injury, while a line load of 200 N/mm results in a 50 % risk of injury under focal compressive loading.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107163"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of different post-polymerization protocols on the material properties of three printed dental resins","authors":"Sophie Gekle ,&nbsp;Felicitas Mayinger ,&nbsp;Ursula Kreitmair ,&nbsp;Marcel Reymus ,&nbsp;Moritz Hoffmann ,&nbsp;Bogna Stawarczyk","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To investigate the influence of different post-polymerization protocols (PP) on polymerization depth and resultant degree of conversion (DC), Martens hardness (HM), flexural strength (FS) and elastic modulus (EM) of 3D-printed specimens with and without aging regimes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Specimens of a specific geometry (N = 720) were 3D printed from two resins for permanent applications (VAR=Varseo Smile Crown^plus, BEGO Medical; CRO= Crowntec, Saremco Dental), and one resin for temporary applications (FRE=Freeprint temp, Detax). They underwent five PP's, divided into three LED-groups (PP 1: 385 nm, 76 mW/cm², 180 s; PP 2: 400 nm, 77 mW/cm², 180 s; PP 3: 460 nm, 49 mW/cm², 180 s) and two flash curing groups (PP 4: 37 mW/cm², ten flashes per second, pulse duration 100 μs, curing period 2000 flashes/200 ms; PP 5: 90 mW/cm², ten flashes per second, pulse duration 100 μs, curing period 2000 flashes/200 ms). DC, HM, FS and EM were tested initially and after thermal cycling (10.000x, 5/55 °C) and within three different depths (0 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm). Data were analyzed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney-U test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman's correlation (p &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PP 5 consistently showed high values for both aging regimes, while PP 3 presented the lowest results. Artificial aging increased the properties for most groups, some decreased. For DC 25/30 PP-groups and HM 27/30 PP-groups showed higher values for 0 mm depths in comparison with 2 mm and 4 mm depths.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Post-polymerization enhances the properties of the tested specimens intended for fixed dental prostheses (FDPs). PP 5 is recommended because it consistently resulted in highest DC, HM, FS, and EM across most groups, especially when combined with depths of 0 mm for DC and HM. Depths of 2 mm and 4 mm mostly resulted in lower values. Among LED groups, wavelengths of 385 nm and 400 nm are recommended for all materials, while wavelength of 460 nm seems not advisable.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107164"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morpho-mechanical analysis of porcine growth plate tissue mechanics under torsional shear","authors":"L. Hucke ,&nbsp;G.Q. Teixeira ,&nbsp;A. Seitz ,&nbsp;A.J. Gámez ,&nbsp;A. Huß ,&nbsp;N. Hammer ,&nbsp;A. Wittek ,&nbsp;J.A. Niestrawska","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107160","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107160","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Torsional loading of the growth plate occurs in daily activities and sports and is associated with growth plate fractures. This study aimed to investigate the microstructural and mechanical properties of growth plate tissue under torsional loading, focusing on variations across individuals, growth plate types, and anatomical locations.</div><div>A total of 140 samples from three distinct growth plates in five porcine subjects were subjected to cyclic torsion tests followed by ultimate failure testing. Additionally, histological analyses were performed using Movat's pentachrome staining to assess tissue structure.</div><div>Mechanical testing revealed significant differences in shear moduli across growth plate types; notably, the proximal femur exhibited a higher primary shear modulus compared to both the distal femur and proximal tibia. Correlation analyses showed a negative relationship between hypertrophic zone thickness and primary shear modulus (<span><math><mrow><mi>ρ</mi><mo>=</mo><mo>−</mo><mn>0.47</mn></mrow></math></span> at 0.5°/s, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi><mspace></mspace><mo>&lt;</mo><mspace></mspace><mn>0.001</mn></mrow></math></span>), as well as between cell column angle and secondary shear modulus (<span><math><mrow><mi>ρ</mi><mo>=</mo><mo>−</mo><mn>0.43</mn></mrow></math></span> at 0.5°/s, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>0.015</mn></mrow></math></span>).</div><div>This study provides essential insights into the mechanical behavior of growth plates and how structural variations influence their response to loading, aiding in the development of more accurate computational models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107160"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of testing solution and storage for measuring passive elastic modulus of rat tibialis anterior whole muscle","authors":"Iraj Dehghan-Hamani ,&nbsp;Alexander Burden ,&nbsp;Yuichiro Honda ,&nbsp;Stephen H.M. Brown ,&nbsp;Thomas R. Oxland","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107162","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107162","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ex-vivo tensile testing is widely used to evaluate the passive mechanical properties of skeletal muscle, particularly the elastic modulus. Researchers commonly use different testing solutions, such as relaxing and carbogen-bubbled Tyrode, and often store small samples in glycerinated solution prior to testing. This paper investigated the effects of testing solutions and storage conditions on the passive elastic modulus of whole muscles in three studies. The objectives were to compare the elastic modulus of whole muscles tested in relaxing solution, Tyrode's solution, and carbogen-bubbled Tyrode's solution (Studies A&amp;B) and to determine whether storage methods can preserve muscles' passive mechanical properties (Study C). Tibialis Anterior muscles (left and right) from 28 male Sprague-Dawley rats were harvested. In Study A, six rats were studied to compare the effect of using relaxing and Tyrode's solutions. Study B involved muscles from eight rats to assess the impact of carbogen aeration in Tyrode's solution. In Study C, 14 rats were used to evaluate the effects of storing muscles in glycerinated solution compared to fresh muscles using three different methods with varying storage durations. The results indicated no significant differences in elastic moduli between relaxing and Tyrode's solutions (p = 0.70) or between carbogen bubbled and non-bubbled Tyrode's solutions (p = 0.81). Also, none of the storage methods preserved the passive elastic modulus of whole muscles compared to fresh muscles, highlighting the need for new storage methodologies if storing whole muscle is required prior to testing. These findings improve the interpretation of passive mechanical property measurements across studies with different conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107162"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrospun biomimetic tympanic membrane implants: Simulating the effect of fiber/filament arrangement on acousto-mechanical behavior","authors":"Zhaoyu Chen ,&nbsp;Marcus Neudert ,&nbsp;Lukas Benecke ,&nbsp;Dilbar Aibibu ,&nbsp;Chokri Cherif ,&nbsp;Matthias Bornitz","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107120","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107120","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Myringoplasty is a routine surgery to restore the hearing of patients with a subacute and chronic tympanic membrane (TM) perforation. Electrospun scaffolds as a new art of synthetic TM replacement have a great potential to overcome the drawbacks of currently used autologous tissues due to the nano- and microfibers. Most recently with the development of tissue engineering, efforts have been made to mimic the radial and circular fiber arrangement of human TM to generate comparable acoustic vibration and mechanical stability. However, a convincing solution is still missing because of the lack of deep understanding the role of fiber arrangement in the oscillatory function. Therefore, the aim of this study is to systematically investigate the effect of fiber arrangement of TM implants on acousto-mechanical behavior based on finite element (FE) simulation. Electrospun 2D flat and 3D conical TM implants were designed in the FE model as nanofibrous composites with additional micro-filaments to mimic the radial and circular arrangement of collagen fibers as well as tailored fiber/filament structures. Not only harmonic acoustic vibration but also static mechanical deformation were simulated to get a systematic connection between the fiber arrangement in the native TM and its acousto-mechanical behavior. The results show that centering circular fibers at the umbo has a major contribution to improving acoustic vibration behavior while radial fibers entail a higher mechanical stability. The hybrid structure FFS3 that has the same fraction of radial and circular fibers shows promising results, since the implant design combines a higher acoustic compliance and a lower static deformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107120"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144878798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single point incremental forming of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy for biomedical applications: Process optimization and in vitro biocompatibility assessment","authors":"Roberta Ruggiero ,&nbsp;Romina Conte ,&nbsp;Rosa Maria Marano ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Serratore ,&nbsp;Elisabetta Aiello ,&nbsp;Anastasia Facente ,&nbsp;Giuseppina Ambrogio ,&nbsp;Marco Tatullo ,&nbsp;Francesco Paduano","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Titanium and its alloys are widely utilized in biomedical applications due to their excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. However, the relationship between manufacturing process parameters, resulting surface characteristics and biological performance remains poorly understood, limiting the optimization of patient-specific implants. This study investigates the integrated effects of Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) process parameters on both mechanical properties and bioperformance of Ti-6Al-4V ELI devices with systematically varied surface roughness. Biological performance is comprehensively defined to include biocompatibility, absence of mutagenic effects, and the stimulation of osteogenic differentiation. Ti specimens were manufactured using SPIF with different combinations of tool diameter, wall angle, and step depth at 450 °C. The SPIFed Ti implants were comprehensively evaluated through surface characterization and chemical composition, microstructural analysis, hardness measurements, wettability, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity tests. Surface roughness varied significantly among SPIF specimens and all of them demonstrated excellent biocompatibility at all time points in both direct and indirect assays. Surface roughness significantly influenced cell behavior, indeed the test characterized by the lowest roughness exhibited the highest direct cell proliferation rate, which was also supported by the results obtained from the chemical surface composition and contact angle measurements. No mutagenic potential was detected in any specimen. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed significant upregulation of osteogenic markers across all SPIF surfaces, with specimen having lowest roughness achieving maximal <em>BMP-2</em> and <em>ALP</em> expression. This study demonstrates that SPIF process parameters critically influence both mechanical and biological performance of Ti-6Al-4V implants through their effects on surface topography and microstructure, highlighting that the optimization of surface roughness through controlled SPIF processing can significantly improve the bioperformance of titanium implants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107147"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144878797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward CoCr Alternatives: Tribo-corrosion performance of interstitially strengthened Cp-Ti surfaces","authors":"Magnus F. Grüner ,&nbsp;Frederik Bojsen-Møller ,&nbsp;Thomas L. Christiansen ,&nbsp;Marcel A.J. Somers ,&nbsp;Morten S. Jellesen","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Orthopedic implants require materials with biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and wear performance to ensure safety, functionality, and durability. Cobalt-chromium (CoCr) alloys are widely used, but concerns regarding their biocompatibility, ethical sourcing, and regulatory restrictions have prompted interest in alternatives such as commercially pure titanium (Cp-Ti). Titanium has excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance but suffers from inadequate wear resistance, which limits its use in load-bearing applications. This study explores the tribo-corrosion behavior of surface-engineered Cp-Ti. The Cp-Ti was surface hardened, employing oxidizing and nitriding treatments followed by vacuum diffusion. These gaseous surface treatments led to interstitially strengthened surface layers, significantly improving hardness and wear resistance. Post-polishing was applied to reduce surface roughness and enhance articulating performance. Results show that oxidizing produced deeper diffusion zones and greater hardness than nitriding. Tribo-corrosion investigations using a ceramic alumina ball as a counterpart proved that surface-hardened titanium could rival CoCr alloys. Consequently, the findings position surface-hardened titanium as a promising alternative to CoCr in biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107145"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prototype design of porous Ti6Al4V intraosseous implant for use in mandibular reconstruction","authors":"Khaled M. Hijazi ,&nbsp;Haojie Mao ,&nbsp;David W. Holdsworth ,&nbsp;S. Jeffrey Dixon ,&nbsp;Jerrold E. Armstrong ,&nbsp;Amin S. Rizkalla","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The design of patient-specific implants often requires computer simulations for the characterization of mechanical properties before manufacturing. We previously developed numerical models to predict the mechanical properties of porous Ti6Al4V constructs built using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Here, we developed a patient-specific porous intraosseous mandibular implant based on the models and techniques described in our previous research. The implant model used a simple cubic porous design with an average unit cell size of 1 mm and strut thicknesses between 350 and 450 μm. Finite element analysis was used to simulate right molar clenching on the mandible with and without the implant, under static and dynamic loading. The simulation showed that the implant would remain intact during right molar clenching and should not cause stress shielding. The fatigue numerical models predicted that the implant would remain functional under cyclic masticatory forces (50–100 N) for a period ranging between 4 and 119 years. Given that, within one year, bone ingrowth and osseointegration are complete, the implant is predicted to remain intact long-term under physiological loading conditions. These findings demonstrate the potential of computational modelling in developing patient-specific designs for porous implants built through LPBF.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 107144"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144771416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of suture and fontanelle morphological variabilities on infant head injury biomechanics","authors":"Siyuan Chen,&nbsp;Yufei Xin,&nbsp;Svein Kleiven,&nbsp;Xiaogai Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compared to adults, the infant head exhibits significant differences in both material properties and structural composition, yet far fewer studies exist on infant head biomechanics. Sutures and fontanelles, as integral soft tissue structures of the infant skull, allow flexibility and accommodate head growth during development. However, their influence on infant head responses to external forces remains inadequately studied, which hinders the advancement of infant traffic safety measures, pediatric head injury diagnosis, and forensic assessments in cases of suspected abusive head trauma. Addressing this research gap, we aim to study the influence of suture and fontanelle morphology on infant head biomechanical response under impact using finite element (FE) simulation. For this, we first developed an automated algorithm for generating FE models with variable suture and fontanelle morphologies, tailored to the morphological characteristics of different suture and fontanelle shapes. The biomechanical influences of these variations were systematically investigated, including the impact acceleration curves and the skull fracture patterns. Furthermore, we investigated the role of accessory sutures, a critical factor but often-overlooked in biomechanics research. The results show that variations in suture and fontanelle morphology significantly influence the biomechanics of the infant head. In particular, fractures were more likely to propagate along accessory sutures in the parietal bone, leading to linear skull fractures. In summary, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of the impact loading of infant sutures and fontanelles, highlighting the importance of considering the suture and fontanelle morphologies when assessing pediatric head injuries for pediatricians, biomechanics researchers, and forensic experts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 107140"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144711705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}