Abstract:
This study investigates the biomechanical underpinnings of retinal injury in blunt eye trauma by developing a three-dimensional finite element model of a generic human eye, reconstructed from anatomical data and meshed with eight-node brick elements. The model incorporates linear elastic definitions for the sclera, cornea, and retina, and a viscoelastic equation of state for the vitreous, with parameters tuned via reverse-engineering against Delori et al.’s high-speed impact experiments. Explicit dynamic simulations in MSC.DYTRAN applied a 4.5 mm BB pellet at 62.5 m/s to explore shockwave transmission through vitreous- and aqueous-filled chambers, quantifying pressure (–1.0 to –1.8 MPa compression), multiaxial strain (up to 25%), and strain rates (up to 50 000 s⁻¹) at clinically relevant sites (macula, vitreous base, equator). Results demonstrate that, while vitreous damping significantly reduces peak pressures and strains, negative pressures and high-rate multiaxial deformation alone can exceed retinal tensile strength and detachment thresholds. These findings challenge the primacy of vitreous traction in trauma-related lesions and position shockwave propagation and rapid mechanical loading as core biomechanical drivers of retinal tearing and detachment, informing the design and validation of ocular protective strategies.
