Medical & biological engineering & computing
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Med Biol Eng Comput · Sep 2016
Combined treatment with parathyroid hormone (1-34) and beta-tricalcium phosphate had an additive effect on local bone formation in a rat defect model.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of following combined treatment with parathyroid hormone (1-34) (PTH) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) on local bone formation in a rat 3-mm critical-size defect at distal femur. Twelve weeks after bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) and sham operation (sham), all animals were randomly divided into four groups: group OVX, group OVX + β-TCP, group sham, and group sham + β-TCP, then all rats underwent bone defect in the bilateral distal femurs, and β-TCP were implanted into critical-sized defects for group OVX + β-TCP and group sham + β-TCP. After defect operation, all animals were received following subcutaneous injections with PTH (60 μg/kg, three times a week) until death at 4 and 8 weeks. ⋯ Furthermore, treatments with PTH and β-TCP showed a stronger effect on accelerating the local bone formation than used alone. Osteoporosis can limit the function of PTH and/or β-TCP. The results from our study demonstrate that combination of PTH and β-TCP had an additive effect on local bone formation in non-osteoporosis and/or osteoporosis rats.
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Med Biol Eng Comput · Aug 2016
Hand-tool-tissue interaction forces in neurosurgery for haptic rendering.
Haptics provides sensory stimuli that represent the interaction with a virtual or tele-manipulated object, and it is considered a valuable navigation and manipulation tool during tele-operated surgical procedures. Haptic feedback can be provided to the user via cutaneous information and kinesthetic feedback. Sensory subtraction removes the kinesthetic component of the haptic feedback, having only the cutaneous component provided to the user. ⋯ The measured surgeon-tool contact forces were 0.01-3.49 N for the thumb and 0.01-6.6 N for index and middle finger, whereas the measured tool-tissue interaction forces were from six to 11 times smaller than the contact forces, i.e., 0.01-0.59 N. The measurements for the contact forces fit the range of the cutaneous sensitivity for the human finger pad; thus, we can say that, in a tele-operated robotic neurosurgery scenario, it would possible to render forces at the fingertip level by conveying haptic cues solely through the cutaneous channel of the surgeon's finger pads. This approach would allow high transparency and high stability of the haptic feedback loop in a tele-operation system.
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Med Biol Eng Comput · Jun 2016
Biomechanical performance of retrograde nail for supracondylar fractures stabilization.
The study compared the biomechanical performance of retrograde nail used to stabilize supracondylar fracture (three different levels) by means of finite element analysis. Three different nail lengths (200, 260, and 300 mm) of stainless steel and titanium nails were under consideration. Intact femur model was reconstructed from Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine images of Thai cadaveric femur scanned by computed tomography spiral scanner, whereas geometry of retrograde nail was reconstructed with the data obtained from three-dimensional laser scanner. ⋯ There were no differences in stress level, elastic strain at a fracture gap, and bone stress between stainless steel and titanium implant. Since the intramedullary canal requires reaming to accommodate the retrograde nail, the length of retrograde nail should be as long as necessary. However, in case that the retrograde nail can be accommodated into the intramedullary canal without reaming, the longer retrograde nail can be used.
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Med Biol Eng Comput · May 2016
Non-contact diagnostic system for sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome based on amplitude and phase analysis of thoracic and abdominal Doppler radars.
Full-night polysomnography (PSG) has been recognized as the gold standard test for sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS). However, PSG examinees are physically restrained for the full night by many contact sensors and obtrusive connecting cables, inducing mental stress. We developed a non-contact SAHS diagnostic system that can detect apneic events without inducing stress in monitored individuals. ⋯ Respiratory disturbance indexes obtained showed a higher correlation (r = 94 %) with PSG than with pulse oximetry (r = 89 %). When predicting the severity of SAHS with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of >15/h or >30/h using PSG as a reference, the radar system achieved a sensitivity of 96 and 90 %, and a specificity of 100 and 79 % with an AHI of >15/h and >30/h, respectively. The proposed radar system can be used as an alternative to the current airflow sensor, and to chest and abdomen belts for apnea-hypopnea evaluation.
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Med Biol Eng Comput · Mar 2016
An MRI-based leg model used to simulate biomechanical phenomena during cuff algometry: a finite element study.
Cuff pressure stimulation is applicable for assessing deep-tissue pain sensitivity by exciting a variety of deep-tissue nociceptors. In this study, the relative transfer of biomechanical stresses and strains from the cuff via the skin to the muscle and the somatic tissue layers around bones were investigated. Cuff pressure was applied on the lower leg at three different stimulation intensities (mild pressure to pain). ⋯ The mean stress under the cuff position around tibia was 4.6, 4.9 and around fibula 14.8, 16.4 times greater than mean stress of muscle surface in the same section at pain threshold and intense painful stimulations, respectively. At the same stimulation intensities, the mean strains around tibia were 36.4, 42.3 % and around fibula 32.9, 35.0 %, respectively, of mean strain on the muscle surface. Assuming strain as the ideal stimulus for nociceptors the results suggest that cuff algometry is less capable to challenge the nociceptors of tissues around bones as compared to more superficially located muscles.