Biomechanical responses in an ovine model of non-accidental head injury (shaken baby syndrome)

Abstract

The main physiological consequences of a shaken baby syndrome (SBS) are well characterized, whereas the nature of the forces and accelerations of the head during the assault, and their relationship with the clinical presentation of SBS remain unknown. One of the dominant controversies in the SBS is whether a head impact is necessary to produce pathology or whether shaking alone is sufficient to injure the brain. There is currently no satisfactory animal model in which to investigate the biomechanics of the SBS. The principal aim of this study was to record the acceleration levels of a juvenile ovine head during a shaking event. One triaxial accelerometer and one motion sensor were glued on the skull of 10 lambs that were manually shaken. The accelerations, positions and orientations of the heads were collected and assessed. Further studies will correlate neuropathological changes with these biomechanical events.