Constitutive Modeling of Pia–Arachnoid Complex

The pia–arachnoid complex (PAC) covering the brain plays an important role in the mechanical response of the brain during impact or inertial loading. Recent studies have revealed the complicated material behavior of the PAC. In this study, the nonlinear viscoelastic, transversely isotropic material properties of the PAC were modeled as Mooney–Rivlin ground substance with collagen fibers strengthening within the meningeal plane through an exponential model. The material constants needed were determined using experimental data from in-plane tension, normal traction, and shear tests conducted on bovine specimens. Results from this study provide essential information to properly model the PAC membrane, an important component in the skull/brain interface, in a computational brain model. Such an improved representation of the skull/brain interface will enhance the accuracy of finite element models used in brain injury mechanism studies under various loading conditions.