Computer methods in biomechanics and biomedical engineering
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Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin · Apr 2017
Loading of the lumbar spine during backpack carriage.
Backpack carriage is significantly associated with a higher prevalence of low back pain. Elevated compression and shear forces in the lumbar intervertebral discs are known risk factors. ⋯ The results revealed that to predict realistic lumbar compression forces, subject-specific lumbar curvature data were not necessary for loads up to 40 kg. In contrast, regarding shear forces, using subject-specific lumbar curvature data from upright MRI measurements as input for the rigid body model significantly altered lumbar joint force estimates.
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Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin · Apr 2017
On the assessment of bridging vein rupture associated acute subdural hematoma through finite element analysis.
Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is a type of intracranial haemorrhage following head impact, with high mortality rates. Bridging vein (BV) rupture is a major cause of ASDH, which is why a biofidelic representation of BVs in finite element (FE) head models is essential for the successful prediction of ASDH. We investigated the mechanical behavior of BVs in the KTH FE head model. ⋯ The success rate fluctuated between 67 and 75%. To further increase the predictive capability of FE head models w.r.t. BV rupture, future work should be directed towards improvement of the BV representation, both geometrically and mechanically.
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Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin · Feb 2017
Variation in the human Achilles tendon moment arm during walking.
The Achilles tendon (AT) moment arm is an important determinant of ankle moment and power generation during locomotion. Load and depth-dependent variations in the AT moment arm are generally not considered, but may be relevant given the complex triceps surae architecture. ⋯ AT moment arms also varied by 14% over the tendon thickness. In walking, AT moment arms are not strictly dependent on kinematics, but exhibit important load and spatial dependencies.
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Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin · Feb 2017
Computational comparison of aortic root stresses in presence of stentless and stented aortic valve bio-prostheses.
We provide a computational comparison of the performance of stentless and stented aortic prostheses, in terms of aortic root displacements and internal stresses. To this aim, we consider three real patients; for each of them, we draw the two prostheses configurations, which are characterized by different mechanical properties and we also consider the native configuration. ⋯ The computational results are analyzed in terms of aortic flow, internal wall stresses and aortic wall/prosthesis displacements; a quantitative comparison of the mechanical behavior of the three scenarios is reported. The numerical results highlight a good agreement between stentless and native displacements and internal wall stresses, whereas higher/non-physiological stresses are found for the stented case.
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Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin · Sep 2016
Biomechanical assessment and clinical analysis of different intramedullary nailing systems for oblique fractures.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the fracture union or non-union for a specific patient that presented oblique fractures in tibia and fibula, using a mechanistic-based bone healing model. Normally, this kind of fractures can be treated through an intramedullary nail using two possible configurations that depends on the mechanical stabilisation: static and dynamic. ⋯ From the results, it is demonstrated that the dynamization of the fracture improves healing in comparison with a static or rigid fixation of the fracture. This work shows the versatility and potential of a mechanistic-based bone healing model to predict the final outcome (union, non-union, delayed union) of realistic 3D fractures where even more than one bone is involved.