No, it’s not the famous game “Clue”. It’s the use of realistic simulation to perform forensic studies of skull fracture.

While, for the average person it is a bit gruesome to think about, medical examiners and police investigators are often faced with the need to determine how and why skull fractures occur.

Was the head injury caused by an accident or was the injury caused with the intent to murder the victim?

Researchers at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Copenhagen, in cooperation with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), are using using technology from Simpleware (a SIMULIA partner) to transfer CT-scan data into SIMULIA’s Abaqus FEA software.  This allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanics and forces that cause severe skull injuries.

While the researchers consider their current studies as preliminary, these represent a critical step on the path to developing a general tool for supporting medical examiners with easy, achievable and accurate numerical simulation to support their judgment regarding the cause of death.

To get more details, check out the complete case study in the latest issue of INSIGHTS magazine  here.

Are you as surprised as I am that Abaqus FEA software (traditionally used to study the performance of mechanical systems in cars and airplanes) is being used in forensic head injury research?

Tim