Role of Interface on the Impact Characteristics and Cranial Fracture Patterns Using the Immature Porcine Head Model

The skulls were dropped onto four surfaces with an energy that caused fracturing. The four surfaces varied in stiffness, ranging from a rigid plate to one covered with plush carpeting. Results showed that heads dropped onto the rigid surface produced more extensive cranial fracturing than those dropped onto carpeted surfaces. Contact forces generated at fracture initiation and the overall maximum contact forces were generally lower for the rigid than carpeted impacts. Although the degree of cranial fracturing from impacts onto the heavy carpeted surface was comparable to that of lower-energy rigid surface impacts, there were fewer diastatic fractures. This suggests that characteristics of the cranial fracture patterns may be used to differentiate energy level from impact interface in pediatric forensic cases. (Publisher abstract modified)