Mesoscale Model for Composite Laminates: Verification and Validation on Scaled Un-Notched Laminates.

This paper presents a mesoscale damage model for composite materials and its validation at the coupon level by predicting scaling effects in un-notched carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. The proposed material model presents a revised longitudinal damage law that accounts for the effect of complex 3D stress states in the prediction of onset and broadening of longitudinal compressive failure mechanisms. To predict transverse failure mechanisms of unidirectional CFRPs, this model was then combined with a 3D frictional smeared crack model. The complete mesoscale damage model was implemented in ABAQUS®/Explicit. Intralaminar damage onset and propagation were predicted using solid elements, and in-situ properties were included using different material cards according to the position and effective thickness of the plies. Delamination was captured using cohesive elements. To validate the implemented damage model, the analysis of size effects in quasi-isotropic un-notched coupons under tensile and compressive loading was compared with the test data available in the literature. Two types of scaling were addressed: sublaminate-level scaling, obtained by the repetition of the sublaminate stacking sequence, and ply-level scaling, realized by changing the effective thickness of each ply block. Validation was successfully completed as the obtained results were in agreement with the experimental findings, having an acceptable deviation from the mean experimental values.

Intramedullary nailing biomechanics: Evolution and challenges.

This article aims to review the biomechanical evolution of intramedullary nailing and describe the breakthrough concepts which allowed for nail improvement and its current success. The understanding of this field establishes an adequate background for forthcoming research and allows to infer on the path for future developments on intramedullary nailing. It was not until the 1940s, with the revolutionary Küntscher intramedullary nailing design, that this method was recognized as a widespread medical procedure. Such achievement was established based on the foundations created from intuition-based experiments and the first biomechanical ideologies. The nail evolved from allowing alignment and stability through press-fit fixation with nail-cortical wall friction to the nowadays nail stability achieved through interlocking screws mechanical linkage between nail and bone. Important landmarks during nail evolution comprise the introduction of flexible reaming, the progress from slotted to non-slotted nails design, the introduction of nail 'dynamization' and the use of titanium alloys as a new nail material. Current biomechanical improvement efforts aim to enhance the bone-intramedullary nail system stability. We suggested that benefit would be attained from a better understanding of the ideal mechano-biological environment at the fracture site, and future improvements will emerge from combining mechanics and biological tools.

Recent developments on intramedullary nailing: a biomechanical perspective.

Combining contributions from engineering and medicine, we highlight the biomechanical turning points in the historical evolution of the intramedullary nailing stabilization technique and discuss the recent innovations concerning increase in bone-implant system stability. Following the earliest attempts, where stabilization of long bone fractures was purely based on intuition, intramedullary nailing evolved from allowing alignment and translational control through press-fit fixation to current clinical widespread acceptance marked by the mechanical linkage between nail and bone with interlocking screws that allow alignment, translation, rotation, and length control. In an attempt to achieve an optimum interfragmentary mechanical environment, recent improvements considered the impact of different biomaterials on bone-implant stiffness. Another strategy considered the increase in the structural stability through the reduction of the number of movements between the different components that constitute the bone-implant system. Intramedullary nail improvements will most likely benefit from merging mechanics and fracture-healing biology by combining surface engineering with sensor tools associated with the innovative progress in wireless technology and with bone-healing biological active agents. Future research should aim at better understanding the ideal mechanobiological environment for each stage of fracture healing in order to allow for intramedullary nail design that satisfies such requirements.

From mechanical stimulus to bone formation: A review.

Bone is a remarkable tissue that can respond to external stimuli. The importance of mechanical forces on the mass and structural development of bone has long been accepted. This adaptation behaviour is very complex and involves multidisciplinary concepts, and significant progress has recently been made in understanding this process. In this review, we describe the state of the art studies in this area and highlight current insights while simultaneously clarifying some basic yet essential topics related to the origin of mechanical stimulus in bone, the biomechanisms associated with mechanotransduction, the nature of physiological bone stimuli and the test systems most commonly used to study the mechanical stimulation of bone.

A procedure for a mechanical evaluation of an undefined osteo-protective material.

Falls represent a major care and cost problem to health and social services world-widely, since 50% of falls result in an injury. In this work, is proposed a methodology to evaluate protective pads materials and geometry performance, in order to reduce impact results in a fall event. Since the material properties and the pad geometry are the key factors to make the protection possible when a fall event occurs, our approach relies on the use of mechanical tests to evaluate the properties of the material and in the study of the pad response during a fall. For this, were used compression, tensile and instrumented falling weight tests, that allow a fully characterization of the materials that can be employed in the protective pads. Likewise, to gather precise information on falls events, in order to study the pad response during a fall, a set of laboratory fall trials were created using a camera-less inertial motion capture (mocap) system. This allow the acquisition of dynamic information of falls, namely acceleration and velocity that can be used to create a finite element analysis (FEA) model, where different segments from the human body can be evaluated when the protective pad is associated to it. Through the proposed methodology, different materials and pad geometries can be studied towards maximizing the performance of protection pads for falls. The mocap system allows the acquisition of fall data, and also the creation of a human body geometrical model, representative of the fall. From the mechanical trials, was showed that the spacer fabric embedded with silicone has the higher ability to reduce the peak force in case of impact when compared with all the other specimens. The compression and the tensile tests allow the mechanical definition of the material, and with this the material definition on the FEA model.

A new piezoelectric actuator induces bone formation in vivo: a preliminary study.

This in vivo study presents the preliminary results of the use of a novel piezoelectric actuator for orthopedic application. The innovative use of the converse piezoelectric effect to mechanically stimulate bone was achieved with polyvinylidene fluoride actuators implanted in osteotomy cuts in sheep femur and tibia. The biological response around the osteotomies was assessed through histology and histomorphometry in nondecalcified sections and histochemistry and immunohistochemistry in decalcified sections, namely, through Masson's trichrome, and labeling of osteopontin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase. After one-month implantation, total bone area and new bone area were significantly higher around actuators when compared to static controls. Bone deposition rate was also significantly higher in the mechanically stimulated areas. In these areas, osteopontin increased expression was observed. The present in vivo study suggests that piezoelectric materials and the converse piezoelectric effect may be used to effectively stimulate bone growth.