Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Balance, Symmetry, And Center Of Mass In The Gait Cycle Of Transfemoral Amputees, Kayla T. Etienne

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to create a framework that assists in the transfemoral prosthesis fitting process by calculating balance and symmetry to quantify patient comfort with an understanding of bipedal locomotion and human anatomy. Three different software applications were used to compare (1) the body position during gait cycle, (2) the natural and amputee anatomies, (3) the natural and prosthetic legs, and (4) the equilibrium and torque movements of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Models were created in Maya for analysis in Solidworks and MEL code evaluation with MatLab. The MatLab code tested combinations of joint degrees …

The Microstructure And The Electrochemical Behavior Of Cobalt Chromium Molybdenum Alloys From Retrieved Hip Implants, Christopher P. Emerson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because of their excellent mechanical, tribological, and electrochemical properties, Cobalt Chromium Molybdenum alloys have been used as the material for both the stem and head of modular hip implants. Corrosion is one mechanism by which metal debris, from these implants, is generated, which can lead to adverse events that requires revision surgery. Manufacturing process such as wrought, as-cast, and powder metallurgy influences the microstructure, material properties, and performance of these implants

The current research focuses on analyzing the microstructure of CoCrMo alloys from retrieved hip implants with optical and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, energy disperse spectroscopy was utilized to determine …

In-Vivo Corrosion And Fretting Of Modular Ti-6al-4v/Co-Cr-Mo Hip Prostheses: The Influence Of Microstructure And Design Parameters, Jose Luis Gonzalez Jr

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of corrosion and fretting in 48 retrieved titanium-6aluminum-4vanadium and/or cobalt-chromium-molybdenum modular total hip prosthesis with respect to alloy material microstructure and design parameters. The results revealed vastly different performance results for the wide array of microstructures examined. Severe corrosion/fretting was seen in 100% of as-cast, 24% of low carbon wrought, 9% of high carbon wrought and 5% of solution heat treated cobalt-chrome. Severe corrosion/fretting was observed in 60% of Ti-6Al-4V components. Design features which allow for fluid entry and stagnation, amplification of contact pressure and/or increased micromotion were also shown …

Movement Effects On The Flow Physics And Nutrient Delivery In Engineered Valvular Tissues, Manuel Salinas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical conditioning has been shown to promote tissue formation in a wide variety of tissue engineering efforts. However the underlying mechanisms by which external mechanical stimuli regulate cells and tissues are not known. This is particularly relevant in the area of heart valve tissue engineering (HVTE) owing to the intense hemodynamic environments that surround native valves. Some studies suggest that oscillatory shear stress (OSS) caused by steady flow and scaffold flexure play a critical role in engineered tissue formation derived from bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSCs). In addition, scaffold flexure may enhance nutrient (e.g. oxygen, glucose) transport. In this …

Optimization Of Cooling Protocols For Hearts Destined For Transplantation, Abas Abdoli

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Design and analysis of conceptually different cooling systems for the human heart preservation are numerically investigated. A heart cooling container with required connections was designed for a normal size human heart. A three-dimensional, high resolution human heart geometric model obtained from CT-angio data was used for simulations. Nine different cooling designs are introduced in this research. The first cooling design (Case 1) used a cooling gelatin only outside of the heart. In the second cooling design (Case 2), the internal parts of the heart were cooled via pumping a cooling liquid inside both the heart’s pulmonary and systemic circulation systems. …