Computationally Efficient, Explicit Finite Element Model for Evaluation of Patellofemoral Mechanics

Author(s):  
Mark A. Baldwin ◽  
Paul J. Rullkoetter

Patient-specific finite element (FE) models can provide clinically relevant information about contact mechanics and kinematics that may be difficult or infeasible to obtain otherwise, and have potential to guide pre-operative planning. However, substantial uncertainty in model variables exists in patient-specific modeling, and suggests a probabilistic approach. Although efficient probabilistic methodology has been recently developed, multiple analyses are still required, and computational time for a fully deformable FE model throughout a flexion cycle has typically made this impractical. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to develop an explicit FE model of the patellofemoral joint with deformable cartilage and deformable, wrapping extensor tendons, and to compare kinematic and contact mechanics results with a model modified for computational efficiency. The efficient model incorporated rigid femoral and patellar cartilage representation with an optimized contact pressure–surface overclosure relationship, and composite-fiber tendons.

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 687-693
Author(s):  
Liuqing Yang ◽  
Ming Hu ◽  
Deming Zhao ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Xun Zhou

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel method for analyzing wheel-rail (W-R) contact using thermo-mechanical measurements and study the effects of heating on the characteristics of W-R contact under different creepages. Design/methodology/approach This study developed an implicit-explicit finite element (FE) model which could solve both partial slip and full sliding problems by setting different angular velocities on the wheels. Based on the model, four material types under six different creepages were simulated. Findings The results showed that frictional heating significantly affected the residual stress distribution under large creepage conditions. As creepage increased, the temperature of the wheel tread and rail head rose and the peak value was located at the trailing edge of the contact patch. Originality/value The proposed FE model could reduce computational time and thus cost to about one-third of the amount commonly found in previous literature. Compared to other studies, these results are in good agreement and offer a reasonable alternative method for analyzing W-R contact under various conditions. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2019-0298


Author(s):  
Mojtaba Hasani ◽  
Reza Razaghi ◽  
Kamran Hassani ◽  
Seyed Mohammadali Rahmati ◽  
Pedram Tehrani ◽  
...  

Lungs expand during breathing through increasing the space in the chest cavity. The mechanical properties of the lung play a pivotal role for space, which provides during breathing. Smoking via chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can affect this mechanical function through the alteration of the mechanical properties of the lung tissue. Recently our group performed an experimental study to measure the axial and transversal mechanical properties of the human healthy and smokers’ lung tissues (Karimi et al., Tech Health Care 2018). Our results revealed a higher stiffness for the smokers’ lung tissues compared to the healthy ones. Here, we aimed to calculate the stresses, pressures, deformations, and kinetic energies in the healthy and smokers’ lung tissues during breathing in interaction with the ribs and sternum. To do that, a patient-specific finite element (FE) model of the human lung was established and numerically subjected to an inhale-exhale pressure phase. The FE results revealed a higher pressure and a lower deformation in the smoking lung tissue compared to the healthy one. In addition, the stiffer smoking lung exerted a higher pressure and deformation in the sternum and ribs compared to the healthy lung. Furthermore, the smoking lung displayed a lower kinetic energy compared to the healthy lung and as a result, it transferred a higher amount of energy to the bones, which might increase the chance of bone remodeling and/or fracture during, e.g., coughing. These results have implications for not only understanding of the stresses and deformations induce in the lung tissues among the healthy and smokers during breathing but also for providing a preliminary information for the medical and biomechanical experts to have an assessment of the amount of injury occurs to the lung because of smoking.


2014 ◽  
Vol 553 ◽  
pp. 322-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanako Suenaga ◽  
Jun Ning Chen ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Keiichiro Yamaguchi ◽  
Keiichi Sasaki ◽  
...  

This study aims to analyze the functional contact pressure induced by Removable Partial Denture (RPD) by using a 3D finite element (FE) model constructed based on patient specific CT scans. This model was validated against the in vivo test results. The outcomes demonstrate that the finite element simulation has the capability of quantifying localized stress distribution in a complicated denture-mucosa contact problem, with a reasonable matching to clinical measurements of occlusal force and pressure distribution. The methodology is of considerable clinical implication to improve the long term outcomes of the denture treatment.


Author(s):  
Meike Gierig ◽  
Fangrui Liu ◽  
Lukas Weiser ◽  
Wolfgang Lehmann ◽  
Peter Wriggers ◽  
...  

Background: Spinopelvic fractures and approaches of operative stabilization have been a source of controversial discussion. Biomechanical data support the benefit of a spinopelvic stabilization and minimally invasive procedures help to reduce the dissatisfying complication rate. The role of a cross connector within spinopelvic devices remains inconclusive. We aimed to analyze the effect of a cross connector in a finite element model (FE model).Study Design: A FE model of the L1-L5 spine segment with pelvis and a spinopelvic stabilization was reconstructed from patient-specific CT images. The biomechanical relevance of a cross connector in a Denis zone I (AO: 61-B2) sacrum fracture was assessed in the FE model by applying bending and twisting forces with and without a cross connector. Biomechanical outcomes from the numerical model were investigated also considering uncertainties in material properties and levels of osseointegration.Results: The designed FE model showed comparable values in range-of-motion (ROM) and stresses with reference to the literature. The superiority of the spinopelvic stabilization (L5/Os ilium) ± cross connector compared to a non-operative procedure was confirmed in all analyzed loading conditions by reduced ROM and principal stresses in the disk L5/S1, vertebral body L5 and the fracture area. By considering the combination of all loading cases, the presence of a cross connector reduced the maximum stresses in the fracture area of around 10%. This difference has been statistically validated (p < 0.0001).Conclusion: The implementation of a spinopelvic stabilization (L5/Os ilium) in sacrum fractures sustained the fracture and led to enhanced biomechanical properties compared to a non-reductive procedure. While the additional cross connector did not alter the resulting ROM in L4/L5 or L5/sacrum, the reduction of the maximum stresses in the fracture area was significant.


Author(s):  
Jingwen Hu ◽  
Chunsheng Ma ◽  
King H. Yang ◽  
Clifford C. Chou ◽  
Albert I. King ◽  
...  

Rollover crashes are complex by their very nature, and have stimulated many researches aimed at improved occupant safety. In order to investigate the vehicle crashworthiness during rollovers, several test modes are generally used to replicate different real world rollover scenarios. However, such tests are very expensive, especially during the development stage of a new car line. Computer modeling is a cost-effective way to study rollover crashes. However, a survey of literature showed that only rigid-body dynamics based models have been used for rollover simulations. It is well known that this class of models cannot be used to simulate component deformation and structural collapses. Finite element (FE) method, which has been widely used to simulate frontal and side crashes, was rarely used for simulating rollover crashes, due mainly to the relative long duration of a rollover crash. The objective of this study was to develop an FE model for investigating vehicle crashworthiness during three commonly used rollover tests. An FE model of an SUV was developed in this study. Several sub-models, namely the vehicle structure sub-model, the tire sub-model, the suspension system sub-model, the restraint system sub-model, and the dummy model were generated and integrated together. The structure model was first used to simulate the roof crush test as prescribed in FMVSS 216. The resulting load versus roof crush curve matched well against test results. The integrated model was then used to simulate three laboratory-based rollover test modes, namely the SAE J2114 dolly test, curb-trip test, and corkscrew test. For each test mode, up to 1.5 seconds of simulation time (about 1 full vehicle roll) were computed. The vehicle kinematics, including the angular velocity, lateral acceleration, and vertical acceleration during these three test modes were computed and compared with experimental data. The simulated dummy head accelerations, timing and location of the most severe impact to the dummy’s head were also compared with the experimental results. Results showed very good agreement between the tests and simulations. In order to reduce the computational time, multiple CPUs were used. Approximately ten hours were required to run a 1.5 second rollover simulation on eight CPUs. Thus, simulating rollovers using FE method is quickly becoming a reality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1482
Author(s):  
Róbert Huňady ◽  
Pavol Lengvarský ◽  
Peter Pavelka ◽  
Adam Kaľavský ◽  
Jakub Mlotek

The paper deals with methods of equivalence of boundary conditions in finite element models that are based on finite element model updating technique. The proposed methods are based on the determination of the stiffness parameters in the section plate or region, where the boundary condition or the removed part of the model is replaced by the bushing connector. Two methods for determining its elastic properties are described. In the first case, the stiffness coefficients are determined by a series of static finite element analyses that are used to obtain the response of the removed part to the six basic types of loads. The second method is a combination of experimental and numerical approaches. The natural frequencies obtained by the measurement are used in finite element (FE) optimization, in which the response of the model is tuned by changing the stiffness coefficients of the bushing. Both methods provide a good estimate of the stiffness at the region where the model is replaced by an equivalent boundary condition. This increases the accuracy of the numerical model and also saves computational time and capacity due to element reduction.


Author(s):  
Ashwini Gautam ◽  
Chris Fuller ◽  
James Carneal

This work presents an extensive analysis of the properties of distributed vibration absorbers (DVAs) and their effectiveness in controlling the sound radiation from the base structure. The DVA acts as a distributed mass absorber consisting of a thin metal sheet covering a layer of acoustic foam (porous media) that behaves like a distributed spring-mass-damper system. To assess the effectiveness of these DVAs in controlling the vibration of the base structures (plate) a detailed finite elements model has been developed for the DVA and base plate structure. The foam was modeled as a poroelastic media using 8 node hexahedral elements. The structural (plate) domain was modeled using 16 degree of freedom plate elements. Each of the finite element models have been validated by comparing the numerical results with the available analytical and experimental results. These component models were combined to model the DVA. Preliminary experiments conducted on the DVAs have shown an excellent agreement between the results obtained from the numerical model of the DVA and from the experiments. The component models and the DVA model were then combined into a larger FE model comprised of a base plate with the DVA treatment on its surface. The results from the simulation of this numerical model have shown that there has been a significant reduction in the vibration levels of the base plate due to DVA treatment on it. It has been shown from this work that the inclusion of the DVAs on the base plate reduces their vibration response and therefore the radiated noise. Moreover, the detailed development of the finite element model for the foam has provided us with the capability to analyze the physics behind the behavior of the distributed vibration absorbers (DVAs) and to develop more optimized designs for the same.


2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1767-1771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan T. Willing ◽  
Emily A. Lalone ◽  
Hannah Shannon ◽  
James A. Johnson ◽  
Graham J.W. King

2013 ◽  
Vol 456 ◽  
pp. 576-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Fu Xu ◽  
Na Ta ◽  
Zhu Shi Rao ◽  
Jia Bin Tian

A 2-D finite element model of human cochlea is established in this paper. This model includes the structure of oval window, round window, basilar membrane and cochlear duct which is filled with fluid. The basilar membrane responses are calculated with sound input on the oval window membrane. In order to study the effects of helicotrema on basilar membrane response, three different helicotrema dimensions are set up in the FE model. A two-way fluid-structure interaction numerical method is used to compute the responses in the cochlea. The influence of the helicotrema is acquired and the frequency selectivity of the basilar membrane motion along the cochlear duct is predicted. These results agree with the experiments and indicate much better results are obtained with appropriate helicotrema size.


Author(s):  
J. Rodriguez ◽  
M. Him

Abstract This paper presents a finite element mesh generation algorithm (PREPAT) designed to automatically discretize two-dimensional domains. The mesh generation algorithm is a mapping scheme which creates a uniform isoparametric FE model based on a pre-partitioned domain of the component. The proposed algorithm provides a faster and more accurate tool in the pre-processing phase of a Finite Element Analysis (FEA). A primary goal of the developed mesh generator is to create a finite element model requiring only essential input from the analyst. As a result, the generator code utilizes only a sketch, based on geometric primitives, and information relating to loading/boundary conditions. These conditions represents the constraints that are propagated throughout the model and the available finite elements are uniformly mapped in the resulting sub-domains. Relative advantages and limitations of the mesh generator are discussed. Examples are presented to illustrate the accuracy, efficiency and applicability of PREPAT.


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