Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal

Abstract Cerebrospinal flow dynamics (CSF) plays a critical role in structural disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) and in the design of effective procedures for intrathecal drug delivery. Medical imaging techniques have only partially characterized CSF dynamics. Computational models have t...

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Main Authors: Deshik Reddy Putluru, Adrian Buganza Tepole, Hector Gomez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Fluids and Barriers of the CNS
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12987-025-00691-4
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author Deshik Reddy Putluru
Adrian Buganza Tepole
Hector Gomez
author_facet Deshik Reddy Putluru
Adrian Buganza Tepole
Hector Gomez
author_sort Deshik Reddy Putluru
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cerebrospinal flow dynamics (CSF) plays a critical role in structural disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) and in the design of effective procedures for intrathecal drug delivery. Medical imaging techniques have only partially characterized CSF dynamics. Computational models have the potential to offer a high-resolution description of CSF flow and advance our mechanistic understanding. However, anatomically-accurate computational models of CSF dynamics in the spinal canal have largely ignored the compliance of the spinal tissues, which is critical to understand the pulse wave velocity and the craniocaudal decay of CSF pulsations. Here, we propose a mixed-dimensional fluid-structure interaction method that enables high-fidelity simulations of CSF dynamics on anatomically-accurate models of the spinal canal, considering the tissue compliance effects emerging from the dura mater and epidural fat. Our mixed-dimensional approach bypasses a critical computational bottleneck that emerges from the multiscale geometry of spinal tissues. Our results show that accurate modeling of tissue compliance is critical to capture key elements of CSF dynamics. This work opens new possibilities to control and optimize intrathecal drug delivery and to understand structural abnormalities of the CNS.
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spelling doaj-art-802401425e044b578b8b368fa2bdb2a82025-08-20T03:46:29ZengBMCFluids and Barriers of the CNS2045-81182025-07-0122112010.1186/s12987-025-00691-4Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canalDeshik Reddy Putluru0Adrian Buganza Tepole1Hector Gomez2School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue UniversitySchool of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue UniversitySchool of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue UniversityAbstract Cerebrospinal flow dynamics (CSF) plays a critical role in structural disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) and in the design of effective procedures for intrathecal drug delivery. Medical imaging techniques have only partially characterized CSF dynamics. Computational models have the potential to offer a high-resolution description of CSF flow and advance our mechanistic understanding. However, anatomically-accurate computational models of CSF dynamics in the spinal canal have largely ignored the compliance of the spinal tissues, which is critical to understand the pulse wave velocity and the craniocaudal decay of CSF pulsations. Here, we propose a mixed-dimensional fluid-structure interaction method that enables high-fidelity simulations of CSF dynamics on anatomically-accurate models of the spinal canal, considering the tissue compliance effects emerging from the dura mater and epidural fat. Our mixed-dimensional approach bypasses a critical computational bottleneck that emerges from the multiscale geometry of spinal tissues. Our results show that accurate modeling of tissue compliance is critical to capture key elements of CSF dynamics. This work opens new possibilities to control and optimize intrathecal drug delivery and to understand structural abnormalities of the CNS.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12987-025-00691-4Cerebrospinal fluid dynamicsDura materTissue mechanicsFluid-structure interaction
spellingShingle Deshik Reddy Putluru
Adrian Buganza Tepole
Hector Gomez
Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal
Fluids and Barriers of the CNS
Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics
Dura mater
Tissue mechanics
Fluid-structure interaction
title Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal
title_full Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal
title_fullStr Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal
title_full_unstemmed Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal
title_short Mixed-dimensional fluid–structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal
title_sort mixed dimensional fluid structure interaction simulations reveal key mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the spinal canal
topic Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics
Dura mater
Tissue mechanics
Fluid-structure interaction
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12987-025-00691-4
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AT hectorgomez mixeddimensionalfluidstructureinteractionsimulationsrevealkeymechanismsofcerebrospinalfluiddynamicsinthespinalcanal