title: Mechanical properties of cranial bones and sutures in 1-2-year-old infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mechanical properties of 1-2-year-old pediatric cranial bones and sutures and their influential factors were studied to better understand how the pediatric calvarium reacts to loading.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cranial bone and suture specimens were extracted from seven fresh-frozen human infant cadavers (1.5±0.5 years old). Eight specimens were obtained from each subject: two frontal bones, two parietal bones, two sagittal suture samples, and two coronal suture samples. The specimens were tested in a three-point bend setup at 1.5 mm/s. The mechanical properties, such as ultimate stress, elastic modulus, and ultimate strain, were calculated for each specimen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ultimate stress and elastic modulus of the frontal bone were higher than those of the parietal bone (P<0.05). No differences were found between the coronal and sagittal sutures in ultimate stress, elastic modulus, or ultimate strain (P>0.05). The ultimate stress and elastic modulus of the frontal and parietal bones were higher than those of the sagittal and coronal sutures (P<0.05), whereas the opposite ultimate strain findings were revealed (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no significant difference in ultimate stress, elastic modulus, or ultimate strain between the sagittal and coronal sutures. However, there were significant differences in ultimate stress, elastic modulus, and ultimate strain between the frontal and parietal bones as well as between the cranial bones and sutures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Science, Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Shanghai, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Jiawen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Donghua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Zhengdong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Science, Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Dongri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Science, Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Science, Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Shanghai, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Yijiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003393:Cranial Sutures; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012886:Skull / Q000502:physiology*