ARUP; ISBN: 978-0-9562121-5-3 - CMBBE 2012 - Cardiff University

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THE BPPV IN
A SEMICIRCULAR CANAL
S.C. Jeong 1 , S.H. Yoo 2 , Y.H. Choung 3 , H.J. Lim 4 , C.Y. Park 5 and D. Mishra 6
1. ABSTRACT
This study is a basic research for developing more efficient treatment for a benign
paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) which comes from moving otoliths in
semicircular canals. It is well known how BPPV symptoms appear physiologically and
typical symptoms and signs are motion sickness and nystagmus. This work has been
carried out to understand the displacement of cupula due to the dropping down of the
otoliths in the endolymph by finite element analysis software COMSOL 4.2a. The semicircular
canal is modeled as a FSI (fluid-structure interaction) system. The endolymph is
modeled as a slightly compressible Newtonian fluid and the cupula partition is
represented by a linearly elastic solid. The material property of a cupula is not been
known yet. The motion of otolith was assumed as falling straight to the direction of
gravity at one point. The result of this study shows how the sensing mechanism of the
body works for the motion. This result can be a basis for selecting the method of
treatment of the disease of the vestibular system like BPPV.
2. INTRODUCTION
The vestibular apparatus consists of three membranous semicircular canals and two
saclike swellings the utricle and saccule. The semicircular canals detect angular
acceleration during rotation of the head along three perpendicular axes. Hair cells in the
semicircular canals detect changes in the motion and position of the head. A stereocilia
whose receptor cells of the semicircular canals are closely ensheathed by a gelatinous
mass, the cupula, which extends across the lumen of each semicircular canal at the
ampulla, a slight bulge in the wall of each duct. When the head moves, the semicircular
canals move as well, but initially the fluid inside the membranous canals tends to
remain stationary because of inertia. Thus, the moving ampulla is pushed against the
stationary fluid, which causes bending of the stereoicilia and alteration in the rate of
1, 2
release of a chemical transmitter from the hair cells.
1
MS Student, Future Structure Lab, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Republic of Korea
2
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Republic of Korea
3
Professor, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Republic of Korea
4
Clinical Fellow, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Republic of Korea
5
Ph.D Student, Future Structure Lab, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Republic of Korea
6
Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Future Structure Lab, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Republic of
Korea