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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering
Statistical Modeling To Investigate Anatomy And Function Of The Knee, Lowell Matthew Smoger
Statistical Modeling To Investigate Anatomy And Function Of The Knee, Lowell Matthew Smoger
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The natural knee is a hinge joint with significant functional requirements during activities of daily living; as a result, acute and chronic injuries can occur. Pathologies are influenced by joint anatomy and may include patellar maltracking, cartilage degeneration (e.g. osteoarthritis), or acute injuries such as meniscal or ligamentous tears. Population variability makes broadly applicable conclusions about etiology of these conditions from small-scale investigations challenging. The work presented in this dissertation is a demonstration of statistical modeling approaches to evaluate population variability in anatomy of the knee and function of its tibiofemoral (TF) and patellofemoral (PF) joints. Three-dimensional (3D) computational models …
Finite Element And Probabilistic Analysis Of Soft Tissue Structures Of The Human Lumbar Spine, Dana Joseph Coombs
Finite Element And Probabilistic Analysis Of Soft Tissue Structures Of The Human Lumbar Spine, Dana Joseph Coombs
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Human lumbar spine mechanics are influenced by soft tissue structures. Understanding and properly modeling these structures can help determine pathology, treatment, and implant design and performance. Finite element models of the L4-L5 level of the lumbar spine are often used, which include a representation of the intervertebral disc and spinal ligaments. Validation of these models are typically based on torque rotation data from a single subject or the models use average properties reported in literature. However, experimental testing reports variation up to 40% in ligament stiffness and even greater variability for annulus fibrosis properties. Probabilistic approaches enable consideration of the …