Biomechanical modeling and computer simulation of the brain during neurosurgery

Abstract

Computational biomechanics of the brain for neurosurgery is an emerging area of research recently gaining in importance and practical applications. This review paper presents the contributions of the Intelligent Systems for Medicine Laboratory and its collaborators to this field, discussing the modeling approaches adopted and the methods developed for obtaining the numerical solutions. We adopt a physics‐based modeling approach and describe the brain deformation in mechanical terms (such as displacements, strains, and stresses), which can be computed using a biomechanical model, by solving a continuum mechanics problem. We present our modeling approaches related to geometry creation, boundary conditions, loading, and material properties. From the point of view of solution methods, we advocate the use of fully nonlinear modeling approaches, capable of capturing very large deformations and nonlinear material behavior. We discuss finite element and meshless domain discretization, the use of the total Lagrangian formulation of continuum mechanics, and explicit time integration for solving both time‐accurate and steady‐state problems. We present the methods developed for handling contacts and for warping 3D medical images using the results of our simulations. We present two examples to showcase these methods: brain shift estimation for image registration and brain deformation computation for neuronavigation in epilepsy treatment.

Standard‐space atlas of the viscoelastic properties of the human brain

“…For this study, this suggests that estimates of viscoelasticity are uniquely valid for 50 Hz deformations. Nevertheless, the reported mechanical properties reflect important features of the brain's composition and behavior, and the relative differences in viscoelasticity between brain structures and between sexes will have important clinical implications for TBI modeling (Barbey et al, 2015), and the development of simulations for neurosurgical techniques (Miller et al, 2019).…”

Augmented Reality-Assisted Craniotomy for Parasagittal and Convexity En Plaque Meningiomas and Custom-Made Cranio-Plasty: A Preliminary Laboratory Report

“…Surgical simulation requires realistic and real-time modeling. Miller et al [ 45 ] proposed modeling approaches related to geometry creation, boundary conditions, loading and material properties, and advocated the use of fully nonlinear modeling approaches capable of capturing very large deformations and the nonlinear material behavior of the brain for neurosurgery. Similarly, Zhang et al [ 46 ] recently published a review of real-time deformable models for surgical simulation.…”

Neuromechanical characterization of brain damage in response to head impact and pathological changes

“…Hence, two constitutive models for the brain were considered, such as, neo-Hookean hyperviscoelastic and Ogden hyperviscoelastic models. Recent review [29] presents experience accumulated during 23 years for analyses of surgical simulation problems that involve large deformations, nonlinear brain properties and nonlinear boundary conditions. However, accurate computations of the displacement field only are given in [27][28][29].…”

“…Precise stress computation is not considered here. Additionally, the computational results are available to an operating surgeon in less than 40 s. The computational monitoring in real time is important, but the long-term deformations of healthy and diseased brains were not analyzed in [27][28][29].…”