Finite element scaling analysis of human craniofacial growth

The study of form change is central to traditional cephalometric research. Unfortunately, traditional cephalometric studies operate within systems of measurement that are based on registration and orientation. Measurements produced in registered systems are insufficient for the craniofacial biologist who is interested in locating morphological differences between forms. In this article we apply a registration-free method called finite element scaling analysis in a study of the form change occurring during growth of the normal human craniofacial complex. The method provides form change data that can be summarized at various morphological levels. Twenty normal male individuals are used to analyze the form change that occurs from age 4 to ages 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15 years. The magnitude and direction of growth expressed as shape and size change specific to craniofacial landmarks are presented. Although exceptions occur, our analysis shows that localized size change is, on the average, greater than localized shape change. The relation between size and shape change during growth shows allometry (shape change increasing during growth along with size change) but at a lesser magnitude and slower rate. We conclude that although shape change occurs throughout ontogeny, the magnitude and rate of shape change in relation to size change diminishes as age increases. This analysis represents new insights into the understanding of human craniofacial growth at various levels of morphological integration.     

Ceph-X: development and evaluation of 2D cephalometric system

Background

Cephalometric analysis and measurements of skull parameters using X-Ray images plays an important role in predicating and monitoring orthodontic treatment. Manual analysis and measurements of cephalometric is considered tedious, time consuming, and subjected to human errors. Several cephalometric systems have been developed to automate the cephalometric procedure; however, no clear insights have been reported about reliability, performance, and usability of those systems. This study utilizes some techniques to evaluate reliability, performance, and usability metric using SUS methods of the developed cephalometric system which has not been reported in previous studies.

Methods

In this study a novel system named Ceph-X is developed to computerize the manual tasks of orthodontics during cephalometric measurements. Ceph-X is developed by using image processing techniques with three main models: enhancements X-ray image model, locating landmark model, and computation model. Ceph-X was then evaluated by using X-ray images of 30 subjects (male and female) obtained from University of Malaya hospital. Three orthodontics specialists were involved in the evaluation of accuracy to avoid intra examiner error, and performance for Ceph-X, and 20 orthodontics specialists were involved in the evaluation of the usability, and user satisfaction for Ceph-X by using the SUS approach.

Results

Statistical analysis for the comparison between the manual and automatic cephalometric approaches showed that Ceph-X achieved a great accuracy approximately 96.6%, with an acceptable errors variation approximately less than 0.5 mm, and 1°. Results showed that Ceph-X increased the specialist performance, and minimized the processing time to obtain cephalometric measurements of human skull. Furthermore, SUS analysis approach showed that Ceph-X has an excellent usability user’s feedback.

Conclusions

The Ceph-X has proved its reliability, performance, and usability to be used by orthodontists for the analysis, diagnosis, and treatment of cephalometric.

     

半月板三维有限元模型的建立

目的：建立膝关节半月板三维有限元模型。方法：拍摄健康成人膝关节CT图像,使用Materialise Interactive Medical ImageControl System 10.0（Mimics10.0）、Freeform Modeling System 10（FMS10）、ANSYS12.0等软件建立半月板三维有限元模型并进行初步生物力学分析验证模型的有效性。结果：建立的半月板三维有限元模型几何形态与实体解剖标本相似性高。初步生物力学分析结果显示模型能准确反映半月板的生物力学特性。结论：采用CT扫描图像建立膝关节半月板三维有限元模型是切实可行的。     

An efficient method of modeling material properties using a thermal diffusion analogy: an example based on craniofacial bone

The ability to incorporate detailed geometry into finite element models has allowed researchers to investigate the influence of morphology on performance aspects of skeletal components. This advance has also allowed researchers to explore the effect of different material models, ranging from simple (e.g., isotropic) to complex (e.g., orthotropic), on the response of bone. However, bone's complicated geometry makes it difficult to incorporate complex material models into finite element models of bone. This difficulty is due to variation in the spatial orientation of material properties throughout bone. Our analysis addresses this problem by taking full advantage of a finite element program's ability to solve thermal-structural problems. Using a linear relationship between temperature and modulus, we seeded specific nodes of the finite element model with temperatures. We then used thermal diffusion to propagate the modulus throughout the finite element model. Finally, we solved for the mechanical response of the finite element model to the applied loads and constraints. We found that using the thermal diffusion analogy to control the modulus of bone throughout its structure provides a simple and effective method of spatially varying modulus. Results compare favorably against both experimental data and results from an FE model that incorporated a complex (orthotropic) material model. This method presented will allow researchers the ability to easily incorporate more material property data into their finite element models in an effort to improve the model's accuracy.     

The combination of photogrammetry and finite elements for a fine grained functional analysis of anatomical structures

Summary A new method of functional morphological analysis is presented. Combining stereophotogrammetry with the finite element technique, a new approach, permits a three-dimensional numerical stress analysis of arbitrarily shaped bodies to be performed. The stereophotogrammetric method which originated for three-dimensional calculations in the study of surfaces in land surveying is well suited for the determination of the nodal co-ordinates required for the finite element method, an engineering technique developed for behavioural analysis of solids and fluids responding to external forces. This approach was tested in a study of the functional morphology of the bill of an African wading bird, the shoebill Balaeniceps rex. A few findings of that study are given here in order to demonstrate the method. Advantages of the finite element method compared with other techniques for stress analysis of anatomical structures are also discussed. The method presents exciting possibilities for predicting displacement and stress responses more accurately and in much greater detail. The scope of this powerful computerized stress analysis technique is greatly enhanced with the introduction of stereophotogrammetry for determining the three-dimensional co-ordinates of complex anatomical structures. With the finite element method, the properties of the bone structure can be modelled as they occur in the life of the animal. This is not possible with physical models. Furthermore, rare specimens can be analysed non-destructively.     

Multiscale methodology for bone remodelling simulation using coupled finite element and neural network computation

The aim of this paper is to develop a multiscale hierarchical hybrid model based on finite element analysis and neural network computation to link mesoscopic scale (trabecular network level) and macroscopic (whole bone level) to simulate the process of bone remodelling. As whole bone simulation, including the 3D reconstruction of trabecular level bone, is time consuming, finite element calculation is only performed at the macroscopic level, whilst trained neural networks are employed as numerical substitutes for the finite element code needed for the mesoscale prediction. The bone mechanical properties are updated at the macroscopic scale depending on the morphological and mechanical adaptation at the mesoscopic scale computed by the trained neural network. The digital image-based modelling technique using μ-CT and voxel finite element analysis is used to capture volume elements representativeof 2 mm³ at the mesoscale level of the femoral head. The input data for the artificial neural network are a set of bone material parameters, boundary conditions and the applied stress. The output data are the updated bone properties and some trabecular bone factors. The current approach is the first model, to our knowledge, that incorporates both finite element analysis and neural network computation to rapidly simulate multilevel bone adaptation.     

A B-spline based heterogeneous modeling and analysis of proximal femur with graded element

Bone is a complex biological tissue and natural heterogeneous object. The main objective of this study is to simulate quasi-static loading of bio-objects like human femur with B-spline based modeling and its 3D finite element analysis with graded element. B-spline surface representation method is extended to represent material composition to develop heterogeneous solid model of proximal femur. Lagrangian graded element is used to assign inhomogeneous isotropic elastic properties in finite element model to improve the performance. Convergence study is carried out with finite element model in single leg stance load condition. To test the feasibility of the model, sensitivity of simulation is investigated. To validate the model, numerical results are compared with those of an experimental work for the same specimen in simple stance load condition obtained from one of the reference paper. Good agreement is achieved for vertical displacement and strains in most of the locations.     

Correlation between pre-operative periprosthetic bone density and post-operative bone loss in THA can be explained by strain-adaptive remodelling.

Periprosthetic adaptive bone remodelling after total hip arthroplasty can be simulated in computer models, combining bone remodelling theory with finite element analysis. Patient specific three-dimensional finite element models of retrieved bone specimens from an earlier bone densitometry (DEXA) study were constructed and bone remodelling simulations performed. Results of the simulations were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Patterns of predicted bone loss corresponded very well with the DEXA measurements on the retrievals. The amount of predicted bone loss, measured quantitatively by simulating DEXA on finite element models, was found to be inversely correlated with the initial bone mineral content. It was concluded that the same clinically observed correlation can therefore be explained by mechanically induced remodelling. This finding extends the applicability of numerical pre-clinical testing to the analysis of interaction between implant design and initial state of the bone.     

Application of neural networks and finite element computation for multiscale simulation of bone remodeling

In this paper, a novel multiscale hierarchical model based on finite element analysis and neural network computation was developed to link mesoscopic and macroscopic scales to simulate the bone remodeling process. The finite element calculation is performed at the macroscopic level, and trained neural networks are employed as numerical devices for substituting the finite element computation needed for the mesoscale prediction. Based on a set of mesoscale simulations of representative volume elements of bones taken from different bone sites, a neural network is trained to approximate the responses at the meso level and transferred at the macro level.     

A new material mapping procedure for quantitative computed tomography-based, continuum finite element analyses of the vertebra

Inaccuracies in the estimation of material properties and errors in the assignment of these properties into finite element models limit the reliability, accuracy, and precision of quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based finite element analyses of the vertebra. In this work, a new mesh-independent, material mapping procedure was developed to improve the quality of predictions of vertebral mechanical behavior from QCT-based finite element models. In this procedure, an intermediate step, called the material block model, was introduced to determine the distribution of material properties based on bone mineral density, and these properties were then mapped onto the finite element mesh. A sensitivity study was first conducted on a calibration phantom to understand the influence of the size of the material blocks on the computed bone mineral density. It was observed that varying the material block size produced only marginal changes in the predictions of mineral density. Finite element (FE) analyses were then conducted on a square column-shaped region of the vertebra and also on the entire vertebra in order to study the effect of material block size on the FE-derived outcomes. The predicted values of stiffness for the column and the vertebra decreased with decreasing block size. When these results were compared to those of a mesh convergence analysis, it was found that the influence of element size on vertebral stiffness was less than that of the material block size. This mapping procedure allows the material properties in a finite element study to be determined based on the block size required for an accurate representation of the material field, while the size of the finite elements can be selected independently and based on the required numerical accuracy of the finite element solution. The mesh-independent, material mapping procedure developed in this study could be particularly helpful in improving the accuracy of finite element analyses of vertebroplasty and spine metastases, as these analyses typically require mesh refinement at the interfaces between distinct materials. Moreover, the mapping procedure is not specific to the vertebra and could thus be applied to many other anatomic sites.     

Finite Element Modeling of a Beetle Wing

Numerical simulation is a very important method for understanding the behaviors of insect flight. In this study, a method of building a finite element model is proposed on the basis of a real beetle wing, which is 50 mm long in the spanwise direction and 20 mm long in the chordwise direction. We scanned a real beetle wing using a scanner to get the 2D image. The scanned 2D image was used to produce CAD data of the outer lines of the membranes and veins. Then the lines were used to build the finite element model. The model was divided into 48 regions so that the variation in the thickness of the membranes and veins could be taken into account. The effect of the cross section of the veins on the exactness of the finite element model was investigated. The finite element model was used to simulate the bending test of a real beetle wing, and the analysis results are in agreement with the experimental results.     

A stress compatible finite element for implant/cement interface analyses

A new finite element has been developed to enforce normal and shear stress continuity at bimaterial interface points in order to alleviate the problem of high stress discontinuity predictions by the conventional displacement finite element method. The proposed element is based on a five node isoparametric quadrilateral element where the fifth node is located at the interface boundary of the element. A series of validation tests have been carried out to assess the correctness of the stress distribution obtained by the new element at interfaces of highly dissimilar materials. The results of the tests are compared to analytical solutions and to results from convergence studies performed by the conventional finite element method (SAP-IV). Overall, the proposed element has been demonstrated to have a very satisfactory degree of reliability, especially in view of the observed inability of the conventional method to yield interpretable interface stress values for most cases analyzed. Finally, the new interface element has been applied to the analysis of an axisymmetric model of the knee tibial implant. The superiority of the proposed element over the conventional one has been demonstrated in this case by a convergence study.     

Heterogeneous linear elastic trabecular bone modelling using micro-CT attenuation data and experimentally measured heterogeneous tissue properties

High-resolution voxel-based finite element software, such as FEEBE developed at the NCBES, is widely used for studying trabecular bone at the micro-scale. A new approach to determine heterogeneous bone tissue material properties for computational models was proposed in this study. The specimen-specific range of tissue moduli across strut width was determined from nanoindentation testing. This range was mapped directly using linear interpolation to that specimen's micro-computed tomography (microCT) grey value range as input material properties for finite element analysis. The method was applied to cuboid trabecular bone samples taken from eight, 4-year-old (skeletally mature) ovine L5 vertebrae. Before undergoing experimental uniaxial compression tests, the samples were microCT scanned and 30 microm resolution finite element models were generated. The linear elastic finite element models were compressed to 1% strain. This material property assignment method for computational models accurately reproduced the experimentally determined apparent modulus and concentrations of stress at locations of failure.     

Transient bioheat simulation of the laser-tissue interaction in human skin using hybrid finite element formulation

This paper presents a hybrid finite element model for describing quantitatively the thermal responses of skin tissue under laser irradiation. The model is based on the boundary integral-based finite element method and the Pennes bioheat transfer equation. In this study, temporal discretization of the bioheat system is first performed and leads to the well-known modified Helmholtz equation. A radial basis function approach and the boundary integral based finite element method are employed to obtain particular and homogeneous solutions of the laser-tissue interaction problem. In the boundary integral based finite element formulation, two independent fields are assumed: intra-element field and frame field. The intra-element field is approximated through a linear combination of fundamental solutions at a number of source points outside the element domain. The frame temperature field is expressed in terms of nodal temperature and the corresponding shape function. Numerical examples are considered to verify and assess the proposed numerical model. Sensitivity analysis is performed to explore the thermal effects of various control parameters on tissue temperature and to identify the degree of burn injury due to laser heating.     

结合薄层CT技术建立下颌第一前磨牙三维有限元模型

目的结合薄层CT技术建立下颌第一前磨牙三维有限元模型。方法对正常人下颌第一前磨牙进行薄层CT扫描及图像处理,通过Matlab和ANSYS软件建立三维有限元模型,并加载验证模型力学分析的可行性。结果建立了包含髓腔的下颌第一前磨牙的三维有限元模型,得到101564个单元,144053个节点。载荷后的应力分布主要集中在颊尖部位和根尖部位,牙颈部受力较小。结论薄层CT技术与Matlab和ANSYS软件相结合,建立包含髓腔的下颌第一前磨牙的三维有限元模型,精度高、速度快,使用灵活,为后期的楔缺模型建立和分析奠定了基础。