Abstract
Although patient positioning requires due consideration of the individual patient, mathematical models can provide an additional tool in assessing and predicting the effects of a procedure. By considering the basic mechanics of blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow in the head, we demonstrate a simple model of the effects of patient position on pressure. This can be applied to estimates of the intracranial, cerebral perfusion, and capillary perfusion pressures in the head. The model reproduces dominant trends observed in the literature and offers some insight into cases where potentially conflicting trends have been reported.
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Notes
- 1.
A fluid system is called communicating if fluid is freely able to pass between any two points in the system.
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Young, G.F. (2018). Biomechanics and the Mathematics of Positioning. In: Arthur, A., Foley, K., Hamm, C. (eds) Perioperative Considerations and Positioning for Neurosurgical Procedures. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72679-3_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72679-3_2
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