Stability Analysis of Plate-Screw Fixation for Femoral Midshaft Fractures.

An understanding of the biomechanical characteristics and configuration of flexible and locked plating in order to provide balance stability and flexibility of implant fixation will help to construct and promote fast bone healing. The relationship between applied loading and implantation configuration for best bone healing is still under debate. This study aims to investigate the relationship between implant strength, working length, and interfragmentary strain (εIFM) on implant stability for femoral midshaft transverse fractures. The transverse fracture was fixed with a fragment locking compression plate (LCP) system. Finite element analysis was performed and subsequently characterised based on compression loading (600 N up to 900 N) and screw designs (conventional and locking) with different penetration depths (unicortical and bicortical). Strain theory was used to evaluate the stability of the model. The correlation of screw configuration with screw type shows a unicortical depth for both types (p < 0.01) for 700 N and 800 N loads and (p < 0.05) for configurations 134 and 124. Interfragmentary strain affected only the 600 N load (p < 0.01) for the bicortical conventional type (group BC), and the screw configurations that were influenced were 1234 and 123 (p < 0.05). The low steepness of the slope indicates the least εIFM for the corresponding biomechanical characteristic in good-quality stability. A strain value of ≤2% promotes callus formation and is classified as absolute stability, which is the minimum required value for the induction of callus and the maximum value that allows bony bridging. The outcomes have provided the correlation of screw configuration in femoral midshaft transverse fracture implantation which is important to promote essential primary stability.

Finite Element Modelling of a Synthetic Paediatric Spine for Biomechanical Investigation.

Studies on paediatric spines commonly use human adult or immature porcine spines as specimens, because it is difficult to obtain actual paediatric specimens. There are quite obvious differences, such as geometry, size, bone morphology, and orientation of facet joint for these specimens, compared to paediatric spine. Hence, development of synthetic models that can behave similarly to actual paediatric spines, particularly in term of range of motion (ROM), could provide a significant contribution for paediatric spine research. This study aims to develop a synthetic paediatric spine using finite element modelling and evaluate the reliability of the model by comparing it with the experimental data under certain load conditions. The ROM of the paediatric spine was measured using a validated FE model at ±0.5 Nm moment in order to determine the moment required by the synthetic spine to achieve the same ROM. The results showed that the synthetic spine required two moments, ±2 Nm for lateral-bending and axial rotation, and ±3 Nm for flexion-extension, to obtain the paediatric ROM. The synthetic spine was shown to be stiffer in flexion-extension but more flexible in lateral bending than the paediatric FE model, possibly as a result of the intervertebral disc's simplified shape and the disc's weak bonding with the vertebrae. Nevertheless, the synthetic paediatric spine has promising potential in the future as an alternative paediatric spine model for biomechanical investigation of paediatric cases.

Assessment of stress shielding around a dental implant for variation of implant stiffness and parafunctional loading using finite element analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanical stimuli transfer at the bone-implant interface via stress and strain energy density transfer parameters. This study also aimed to investigate the effect of different implant stiffness and parafunctional loading values on the defined mechanical stimuli transfer from the implant to the surrounding bone. METHODS: A three-dimensional finite element model of two-piece threaded dental implant with internal hexagonal connection and mandibular bone block was constructed. Response surface method through face-centred central composite design was applied to examine the influence of two independent factors variables using three levels. The analysis model was fitted to a second-order polynomial equation to determine the response values. RESULTS: The results showed that the implant stiffness was more effective than the horizontal load value in increasing the stress and strain energy density transfers. The interaction between both factors was significant in decreasing the likelihood of bone resorption. Decreasing the implant stiffness and horizontal load value led to the increased stress transfer and unexpected decrease in the strain energy density, except at the minimum level of the horizontal load. The increase in the implant stiffness and horizontal load value (up to medium level) have increased the strain energy transfer to the bone. CONCLUSIONS: The stress and strain energy density were transferred distinctively at the bone-implant interface. The role of both implant stiffness and parafunctional loading is important and should be highlighted in the preoperative treatment planning and design of dental implant.

Experimental Analysis of Fabricated Synthetic Midthoracic Paediatric Spine as Compared to the Porcine Spine Based on Range of Motion (ROM).

The present study is aimed at investigating the mechanical behaviour of fabricated synthetic midthoracic paediatric spine based on range of motion (ROM) as compared to porcine spine as the biological specimen. The main interest was to ensure that the fabricated synthetic model could mimic the biological specimen behaviour. The synthetic paediatric spine was designed as a 200% scaled-up model to fit into the Bionix Servohydraulic spine simulator. Biomechanical tests were conducted to measure the ROM and nonlinearity of sigmoidal curves at six degrees of freedom (DOF) with moments at ±4 Nm before the specimens failed. Results were compared with the porcine spine (biological specimen). The differences found between the lateral bending and axial rotation of synthetic paediatric spine as compared to the porcine spine were 18% and 3%, respectively, but was still within the range. Flexion extension of the synthetic spine is a bit stiff in comparison of porcine spine with 45% different. The ROM curves of the synthetic paediatric spine exhibited nonlinearities for all motions as the measurements of neutral zone (NZ) and elastic zone (EZ) stiffness were below "1." Therefore, it showed that the proposed synthetic paediatric spine behaved similarly to the biological specimen, particularly on ROM.