School of Engineering and Computer Science, Medical and Biological Engineering Research Group, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
School of Engineering and Computer Science, Medical and Biological Engineering Research Group, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
J R Soc Interface. 2018 Oct 24;15(147):20180278. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0278.
The falx cerebri and the tentorium cerebelli are two projections of the dura mater in the cranial cavity which ossify to varying degrees in some mammalian species. The idea that the ossification of these structures may be necessary to support the loads arising during feeding has been proposed and dismissed in the past, but never tested quantitatively. To address this, a biomechanical model of a domestic cat () skull was created and the material properties of the falx and tentorium were varied for a series of loading regimes incorporating the main masticatory and neck muscles during biting. Under these loading conditions, ossification of the falx cerebri does not have a significant impact on the stress in the cranial bones. In the case of the tentorium, however, a localized increase in stress was observed in the parietal and temporal bones, including the tympanic bulla, when a non-ossified tentorium was modelled. These effects were consistent across the different analyses, irrespective of loading regime. The results suggest that ossification of the tentorium cerebelli may play a minor role during feeding activities by decreasing the stress in the back of the skull.
大脑镰和小脑幕是硬脑膜在颅腔中的两个突起，在某些哺乳动物物种中会不同程度地骨化。过去曾提出并否定过这些结构的骨化可能是为了支撑进食过程中产生的负荷的观点，但从未进行过定量测试。为了解决这个问题，创建了一个家猫头骨的生物力学模型，并针对一系列加载情况对大脑镰和小脑幕的材料特性进行了改变，这些加载情况包括在咀嚼时主要的咀嚼和颈部肌肉。在这些加载条件下，大脑镰的骨化对颅骨中的应力没有显著影响。然而，在不骨化的小脑幕模型中，观察到顶骨和颞骨（包括鼓室泡）中的局部应力增加。这些影响在不同的分析中是一致的，与加载情况无关。结果表明，小脑幕的骨化可能通过降低颅骨后部的应力在进食活动中发挥次要作用。
