scholarly journals Finite-Element Extrapolation of Myocardial Structure Alterations Across the Cardiac Cycle in Rats

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold David Gomez ◽  
David A. Bull ◽  
Edward W. Hsu

Myocardial microstructures are responsible for key aspects of cardiac mechanical function. Natural myocardial deformation across the cardiac cycle induces measurable structural alteration, which varies across disease states. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) has become the tool of choice for myocardial structural analysis. Yet, obtaining the comprehensive structural information of the whole organ, in 3D and time, for subject-specific examination is fundamentally limited by scan time. Therefore, subject-specific finite-element (FE) analysis of a group of rat hearts was implemented for extrapolating a set of initial DT-MRI to the rest of the cardiac cycle. The effect of material symmetry (isotropy, transverse isotropy, and orthotropy), structural input, and warping approach was observed by comparing simulated predictions against in vivo MRI displacement measurements and DT-MRI of an isolated heart preparation at relaxed, inflated, and contracture states. Overall, the results indicate that, while ventricular volume and circumferential strain are largely independent of the simulation strategy, structural alteration predictions are generally improved with the sophistication of the material model, which also enhances torsion and radial strain predictions. Moreover, whereas subject-specific transversely isotropic models produced the most accurate descriptions of fiber structural alterations, the orthotropic models best captured changes in sheet structure. These findings underscore the need for subject-specific input data, including structure, to extrapolate DT-MRI measurements across the cardiac cycle.

Author(s):  
G. Rossini ◽  
A. Caimi ◽  
A. Redaelli ◽  
E. Votta

AbstractA Finite Element workflow for the multiscale analysis of the aortic valve biomechanics was developed and applied to three physiological anatomies with the aim of describing the aortic valve interstitial cells biomechanical milieu in physiological conditions, capturing the effect of subject-specific and leaflet-specific anatomical features from the organ down to the cell scale. A mixed approach was used to transfer organ-scale information down to the cell-scale. Displacement data from the organ model were used to impose kinematic boundary conditions to the tissue model, while stress data from the latter were used to impose loading boundary conditions to the cell level. Peak of radial leaflet strains was correlated with leaflet extent variability at the organ scale, while circumferential leaflet strains varied over a narrow range of values regardless of leaflet extent. The dependency of leaflet biomechanics on the leaflet-specific anatomy observed at the organ length-scale is reflected, and to some extent emphasized, into the results obtained at the lower length-scales. At the tissue length-scale, the peak diastolic circumferential and radial stresses computed in the fibrosa correlated with the leaflet surface area. At the cell length-scale, the difference between the strains in two main directions, and between the respective relationships with the specific leaflet anatomy, was even more evident; cell strains in the radial direction varied over a relatively wide range ($$0.36-0.87$$ 0.36 - 0.87 ) with a strong correlation with the organ length-scale radial strain ($$R^{2}= 0.95$$ R 2 = 0.95 ); conversely, circumferential cell strains spanned a very narrow range ($$0.75-0.88$$ 0.75 - 0.88 ) showing no correlation with the circumferential strain at the organ level ($$R^{2}= 0.02$$ R 2 = 0.02 ). Within the proposed simulation framework, being able to account for the actual anatomical features of the aortic valve leaflets allowed to gain insight into their effect on the structural mechanics of the leaflets at all length-scales, down to the cell scale.


1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Bryant ◽  
Peter J. McDonnell

Membrane inflation tests were performed on fresh, intact human corneas using a fiber optic displacement probe to measure the apical displacements. Finite element models of each test were used to identify the material properties for four different constitutive laws commonly used to model corneal refractive surgery. Finite element models of radial keratotomy using the different best-fit constitutive laws were then compared. The results suggest that the nonlinearity in the response of the cornea is material rather than geometric, and that material nonlinearity is important for modeling refractive surgery. It was also found that linear transverse isotropy is incapable of representing the anisotropy that has been experimentally measured by others, and that a hyperelastic law is not suitable for modeling the stiffening response of the cornea.


2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (13) ◽  
pp. 2982-2989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Schileo ◽  
Fulvia Taddei ◽  
Andrea Malandrino ◽  
Luca Cristofolini ◽  
Marco Viceconti

Author(s):  
William J. Newman ◽  
Richard E. Debski ◽  
Susan M. Moore ◽  
Jeffrey A. Weiss

The shoulder is one of the most complex and often injured joints in the human body. The inferior glenohumeral ligament (IGHL), composed of the anterior band (AB), posterior band (PB) and the axillary pouch, has been shown to be an important contributor to anterior shoulder stability (Turkel, 1981). Injuries to the IGHL of the glenohumeral capsule are especially difficult to diagnose and treat effectively. The objective of this research was to develop a methodology for subject-specific finite element (FE) modeling of the ligamentous structures of the glenohumeral joint, specifically the IGHL, and to determine how changes in material properties affect predicted strains in the IGHL at 60° of external rotation. Using the techniques developed in this research, an improved understanding of the contribution of the IGHL to shoulder stability can be acquired.


2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Pauchard ◽  
Todor G. Ivanov ◽  
David D. McErlain ◽  
Jaques S. Milner ◽  
J. Robert Giffin ◽  
...  

High-tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a surgical technique aimed at shifting load away from one tibiofemoral compartment, in order the reduce pain and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Various implants have been designed to stabilize the osteotomy and previous studies have been focused on determining primary stability (a global measure) that these designs provide. It has been shown that the local mechanical environment, characterized by bone strains and segment micromotion, is important in understanding healing and these data are not currently available. Finite element (FE) modeling was utilized to assess the local mechanical environment provided by three different fixation plate designs: short plate with spacer, long plate with spacer and long plate without spacer. Image-based FE models of the knee were constructed from healthy individuals (N = 5) with normal knee alignment. An HTO gap was virtually added without changing the knee alignment and HTO implants were inserted. Subsequently, the local mechanical environment, defined by bone compressive strain and wedge micromotion, was assessed. Furthermore, implant stresses were calculated. Values were computed under vertical compression in zero-degree knee extension with loads set at 1 and 2 times the subject-specific body weight (1 BW, 2 BW). All studied HTO implant designs provide an environment for successful healing at 1 BW and 2 BW loading. Implant von Mises stresses (99th percentile) were below 60 MPa in all experiments, below the material yield strength and significantly lower in long spacer plates. Volume fraction of high compressive strain ( > 3000 microstrain) was below 5% in all experiments and no significant difference between implants was detected. Maximum vertical micromotion between bone segments was below 200 μm in all experiments and significantly larger in the implant without a tooth. Differences between plate designs generally became apparent only at 2 BW loading. Results suggest that with compressive loading of 2 BW, long spacer plates experience the lowest implant stresses, and spacer plates (long or short) result in smaller wedge micromotion, potentially beneficial for healing. Values are sensitive to subject bone geometry, highlighting the need for subject-specific modeling. This study demonstrates the benefits of using image-based FE modeling and bone theory to fine-tune HTO implant design.


2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omotunde M. Babalola ◽  
Lawrence J. Bonassar

While mechanical stimulation of cells seeded within scaffolds is widely thought to be beneficial, the amount of benefit observed is highly variable between experimental systems. Although studies have investigated specific experimental loading protocols thought to be advantageous for cartilage growth, less is known about the physical stimuli (e.g., pressures, velocities, and local strains) cells experience during these experiments. This study used results of a literature survey, which looked for patterns in the efficacy of mechanical stimulation of chondrocyte seeded scaffolds, to inform the modeling of spatial patterns of physical stimuli present in mechanically stimulated constructs. The literature survey revealed a large variation in conditions used in mechanical loading studies, with a peak to peak strain of 10% (i.e., the maximum amount of deformation experienced by the scaffold) at 1 Hz on agarose scaffolds being the most frequently studied parameters and scaffold. This loading frequency was then used as the basis for simulation in the finite element analyses. 2D axisymmetric finite element models of 2×4 mm2 scaffolds with 360 modulus/permeability combinations were constructed using COMSOLMULTIPHYSICS software. A time dependent coupled pore pressure/effective stress analysis was used to model fluid/solid interactions in the scaffolds upon loading. Loading was simulated using an impermeable frictionless loader on the top boundary with fluid and solid displacement confined to the radial axis. As expected, all scaffold materials exhibited classic poro-elastic behavior having pressurized cores with low fluid flow and edges with high radial fluid velocities. Under the simulation parameters of this study, PEG scaffolds had the highest pressure and radial fluid velocity but also the lowest shear stress and radial strain. Chitosan and KLD-12 simulated scaffold materials had the lowest radial strains and fluid velocities, with collagen scaffolds having the lowest pressures. Parametric analysis showed maximum peak pressures within the scaffold to be more dependent on scaffold modulus than on permeability and velocities to depend on both scaffold properties similarly. The dependence of radial strain on permeability or modulus was more complex; maximum strains occurred at lower permeabilities and moduli, and the lowest strain occurred at the stiffest most permeable scaffold. Shear stresses within all scaffolds were negligible. These results give insight into the large variations in metabolic response seen in studies involving mechanical stimulation of cell-seeded constructs, where the same loading conditions produce very different results due to the differences in material properties.


2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Anderson ◽  
A. Warkentin ◽  
R. Bauer

Simulation of deep indentation, and the associated pile-up effects, requires a robust and accurate finite element model capable of naturally handling the large deformations present. This work successfully demonstrates that the Eulerian formulation is capable of accurately reproducing the forces and general material response of deep indentation. It was found that, in the absence of friction, sink-in dominates at indentation depths less than 1.1% of the indenter radius, there is a transition from sink-in to pile-up from 1.1% to 2.3% of the indenter radius, and pile-up is fully developed at indentation depths larger than 13.2% of the indenter radius for the 4340 steel workpiece and the 0.508 mm radius indenter presented in this work. Friction tended to marginally increase the sink-in and transition depths as well as reduce the material height at the onset of fully developed pile-up due to a reduction in the tensile radial strain directly under the indenter.


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