Biomechanical analysis of lumbar interbody fusion with an anisotropic hyperelastic model for annulus fibrosis

Based on computed tomography scanning images, this paper developed a detailed finite element model for the human L2–L4 lumbar spine segment with or without L3–L4 fusion. The model included vertebrae, intervertebral disc, facet articulating surfaces and various ligaments. A previously developed hyperelastic fibre-reinforced constitutive model was used to characterize the material property of annulus fibrosus. Numerical results of L3–L4 motion unit such as load–displacement curves and nucleus pressure were compared with experimental data to validate the FE model. The normal and fused lumbar spine segments under various loading conditions, such as flexion, extension and axial rotation, were analysed. The motion range and stress distribution of the L2–L4 models under different loading conditions were then obtained to investigate the effect of lumbar fusion operation. It was shown that under the same loading condition, the fused model had a much smaller body motion range. Interbody fusion brought out obviously different stress distribution in adjacent intervertebral disc annulus fibrosus. And it also increased the intradiscal pressure of adjacent intervertebral disc significantly.     

A non-linear finite element model of human L4-L5 lumbar spinal segment with three-dimensional solid element ligaments

This paper establishes a non-linear finite element model (NFEM) of L4-L5 lumbar spinal segment with accurate three-dimensional solid ligaments and intervertebral disc. For the purpose, the intervertebral disc and surrounding ligaments are modeled with four-nodal three-dimensional tetrahedral elements with hyper-elastic material properties. Pure moment of 10 N·m without preload is applied to the upper vertebral body under the loading conditions of lateral bending, backward extension, torsion, and forward flexion, respectively. The simulate relationship curves between generalized forces and generalized displacement of the NFEM are compared with the in vitro experimental result curves to verify NFEM. The verified results show that: (1) The range of simulated motion is a good agreement with the in vitro experimental data; (2) The NFEM can more effectively reflect the actual mechanical properties than the FE model using cable and spring elements ligaments; (3) The NFEM can be used as the basis for further research on lumbar degenerative diseases.     

腰椎椎间植骨融合有限元分析

为了评估植骨融合术对腰椎运动和应力分布的影响, 利用影像诊断技术(CT扫描) 和CAD三维重建技术获得人体腰椎三维模型, 椎间盘纤维环采用各向异 性纤维加强超弹性本构模型, 建立了包括椎体、椎间盘和韧带的正常有限元模型以 及L3-L4融合的腰椎L2-L4节段有限元模型, 并通过对比模拟和实验结果验证其有效 性. 利用商业有限元软件ABAQUS/Standard 进行前屈、后伸和轴向旋转载荷情况下 的模拟分析, 对比两种模型在不同状态下的运动范围及应力分布情况. 模拟结果显 示: 在相同的载荷情况下, 融合模型的运动范围和正常模型相比明显偏小; 相邻椎 体的应力分布与正常模型明显不同, 但植骨融合对相邻椎间盘的影响相对较小. 此 外, 小关节对维持脊椎正常生理功能起着重要作用, 小关节功能丧失会使相应节 段的椎间盘髓核压力增大.     

Rate effect on sharing of passive lumbar motion segment under load-controlled sagittal flexion: viscoelastic finite element analysis

Industrial epidemiological studies have shown that jobs requiring a higher speed of trunk motion contribute to a higher risk of industrial low back disorders. Consideration of the loading dynamic characteristics, such as lifting at different speeds, requires modeling of the viscoelastic behavior of passive tissues. Detailed systematic analysis of the effects of loading rate has been lacking in the literature. A validated viscoelastic finite element model of a L2–L3 motion segment was used to identify the load sharing among the passive elements at different loading rates. Force controlled complex flexion movement was simulated by applying load at the top of the upper vertebra without constraining any coupled sagittal rotation, whereas the lower vertebra was fixed at the bottom. The load reached its maximum values of 2000 N compression, 400 N anterior shear, and 20 Nm flexion in three different durations of 0.3, 3 and 30 s to represent fast, medium and slow movement. The global force–displacement response of the motion segment, forces in facet joints and ligaments, stresses and strains in anulus fibrosus, and intradiscal pressure were compared across different rates. The higher rate of loading while reaching a prescribed complex forward flexion loading increased the intradiscal pressure and the stress in the anulus fibers at the posterolateral innermost layers, but reduced the global displacements, ligament forces and facet joint forces. The distribution of stress and strain was markedly affected by the loading rate. Consideration of the time-dependent material properties of passive elements is essential to improve our understanding of the responses of the motion segment to dynamic loading conditions. Speed of the manual materials handling (MMH) tasks should be included as a risk factor in the biomechanical and epidemiological studies and guidelines for safe lifting.     

Microscale prediction of deformation in an austenitic stainless steel under uniaxial loading

In this study, the deformation behaviour of polycrystalline austenitic 316H stainless steel under uniaxial loading is investigated by means of in-situ neutron diffraction (ND) measurement and crystal plasticity-based finite element (FE) modelling. Data have been obtained for the macroscopic stress–strain response and the lattice strain evolution in the longitudinal and transverse direction relative to the uniaxial loading axis. Comparison between the model predictions and the ND measurements suggests that in most cases the FE model can predict the lattice strain evolution at the microscale and capture the general trends observed in the experiments. Both ND measurements and FE modelling simulations identify little effect of micromorphology effect on the longitudinal lattice strain evolution, while the transverse lattice strain response appears to be sensitive to the microstructure, in particular the initial crystallographic orientation of the material.     

Modeling the effects of material non-linearity using moving window micromechanics

In the analysis of materials with random heterogeneous microstructure the assumption is often made that material behavior can be represented by homogenized or effective properties. While this assumption yields accurate results for the bulk behavior of composite materials, it ignores the effects of the random microstructure. The spatial variations in these microstructures can focus, initiate and propagate localized non-linear behavior, subsequent damage and failure. In previous work a computational method, moving window micromechanics (MW), was used to capture microstructural detail and characterize the variability of the local and global elastic response. Digital images of material microstructure described the microstructure and a local micromechanical analysis was used to generate spatially varying material property fields. The strengths of this approach are that the material property fields can be consistently developed from digital images of real microstructures, they are easy to import into finite element models (FE) using regular grids, and their statistical characterizations can provide the basis for simulations further characterizing stochastic response. In this work, the moving window micromechanics technique was used to generate material property fields characterizing the non-linear behavior of random materials under plastic yielding; specifically yield stress and hardening slope, post yield. The complete set of material property fields were input into FE models of uniaxial loading. Global stress strain curves from the FE–MW model were compared to a more traditional micromechanics model, the generalized method of cells. Local plastic strain and local stress fields were produced which correlate well to the microstructure. The FE–MW method qualitatively captures the inelastic behavior, based on a non-linear flow rule, of the sample continuous fiber composites in transverse uniaxial loading.     

Finite element modeling of tube hydroforming of polycrystalline aluminum alloy extrusions

Finite element modeling of tube hydroforming requires information about the anisotropy of the extruded aluminum tube. Unlike sheet metals, the complex geometry of extruded tubes makes it difficult, except in extrusion direction, to directly measure material properties. Therefore, polycrystalline models provide a good alternative for calculating the anisotropy of the tube in all directions and under various loading conditions. Using a rate-independent single crystal yield surface and rigid plasticity, a Taylor-type polycrystalline model was developed and implemented into ABAQUS/Explicit finite element (FE) code using VUMAT. The constitutive model was then used to calculate the crystallographic texture evolution during the hydroforming of an extruded aluminum tube. Initial crystallographic texture measured using orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) and uniaxial tensile test data obtained along the extrusion direction were input to this FEA model. In order to efficiently and practically simulate the tube hydroforming process using the polycrystalline model, sensitivity to the number of grain orientation, total simulation time, and number of finite elements were studied. Predicted results agreed very well with experimentally measured strain obtained from tube hydroforming process.     

A robust integration algorithm for implementing rate dependent crystal plasticity into explicit finite element method

Severe numerical instability in the integration of rate dependent crystal plasticity (RDCP) model is one of the main problems for implementing RDCP into finite element method (FEM), especially for simulating dynamic/transient forming process containing complicated contact conditions under large step length, large strain and high strain rate. In order to overcome the problem, an implicit model is deduced with the primary unknowns of shear strain increments of slip systems under the corotational coordinate system in the paper. The homotopy auto-changing continuation method combined with the Newton–Raphson (N–R) iteration is adopted. The subroutine VUMAT is developed for implementing RDCP model in ABAQUS/Explicit. Simulation results show that the algorithm is stable and accurate in 3D FE simulations on both dynamic simple loading and complicated loading process containing nonlinear contacts under the conditions of the maximal step length of 3.5 × 10⁻⁶ s, the maximal strain of 1.05, the maximal loading speed of 120 mm s⁻¹, and the minimal material rate sensitivity coefficient of 0.01. The predictions of the model on crystal behaviors of anisotropy, rate sensitivity and elasticity, as well as ear profiles in deep cup drawing are in agreement with experiments.     

脊柱L3-L5段机械模型的力学特性分析

借助计算机辅助设计软件SolidEdge,根据人体解剖学数据建立了人体脊柱L3-L5段近似三维几何模型,并利用有限元分析软件ANSYS进行赋值,模拟了脊柱L3-L5段的结构特性、材料特性、接触特性。将椎骨划分为皮质骨、松质骨等结构,用接触连接的方法模拟了椎骨与椎间盘之间、小关节之间的连接情况,采用实体单元Solid187对其进行网格划分。对该三维有限元模型进行加载分析,得到其在200N轴向力作用下和100N侧向力作用下的应力和变形数据,该数据可以为脊柱生物力学的研究和侧凸脊柱的病因及矫正提供一定的参考依据。     

Numerical and Experimental Models of the Mandible

This study aimed to validate a numerical model of an intact mandible for further development of a new TMJ implant. Numerical and experimental models of the biomechanics of the mandible were elaborated to characterize the human temporomandibular joint and to approach the development of a condyle implant. The model of the mandible was obtained through the use of a polymeric replica of a human cadaveric mandible and through 3D geometry acquisition. The three-dimensional finite element model was generated as a tetrahedral finite element mesh. The level of mesh refinement was established via a convergence test and a model with more than 50,000 degrees of freedom was required to obtain analysis accuracy. The functional loading cases included muscle loading in four different load boundary conditions. The same boundary conditions were applied to the experimental model. The strains were measured with an experimental procedure using electric resistance strain gauges applied on the external surface of the mandible. The mechanical response is shown and discussed in terms of strains, principal numerical and measured strains. This study proved that FE models of the mandible can reproduce experimental strains within an overall agreement of 10%. The FE models correctly reproduced bone strains under different load configurations and therefore can be used for the design of a novel TMJ implant considering other load configurations and bone mechanical properties.     

Modeling of plane strain ductile rupture

The formation of slanted fracture under plane strain conditions is studied using the finite Element (FE) method. Constitutive models proposed by Rousselier and by Gurson are used. Rice's condition for localization is checked at every point of the FE mesh for each time step. The role of mesh design (element size, element aspect ratio, symmetry) is first studied. The different constitutive models are then compared. It is in particular shown that the use of the f function in the Gurson model favors flat fracture.     

Elasto-plastic material parameter identification by inverse methods: Calculation of the sensitivity matrix

Inverse methods offer a powerful tool for the identification of elasto-plastic material properties of metals. The basic principle of the inverse method we are studying, is to compare an experimentally measured strain field with a strain field computed by a finite element (FE) model. The material parameters in the FE model are iteratively tuned in such a way that the numerically computed strain field matches the experimentally measured field as closely as possible. One of the building blocks in this identification procedure is the optimization algorithm for the material parameters in the numerical model. The key problem of this optimization algorithm is the determination of a sensitivity matrix, which expresses the sensitivities of the strains with respect to the material parameters. This paper presents an analytical method for the calculation of this sensitivity matrix in the case of a tensile test with non-rotating principal axes of strain.     

A mesoscale investigation of strain rate effect on dynamic deformation of single-crystal copper

A combined finite element (FE) simulation and discrete dislocation dynamics (DD) approach has been developed in this paper to investigate the dynamic deformation of single-crystal copper at mesoscale. The DD code yields the plastic strain based on the slip of dislocations and serves as a substitute for the 3D constitutive form used in the usual FE computation, which is implemented into ABAQUS/Standard with a user-defined material subroutine. On the other hand, the FE code computes the displacement and stress field during the dynamic deformation. The loading rate effects on the yield stress and the deformation patterning of single-crystal copper are investigated. With the increasing of strain rate, the yield stress of single-crystal copper increases rapidly. A critical strain rate exists in each single-crystal copper block for the given size and dislocation sources, below which the yield stress is relatively insensitive to the strain rate. The dislocation patterning changes from non-uniform to uniform under high-strain-rate. The shear stresses in the bands are higher than that in the neighboring regions, which are formed shear bands in the crystal. The band width increases with the strain rate, which often take places where the damage occurs.     

Modelling and experimental characterisation of the Lüders strain in complex loaded ferritic steel compact tension specimens

The use of 3D digital image correlation (DIC) has been used to capture the Lüders strains in a low carbon ferritic steel. Results were used to calibrate and compare with finite element (FE) results based on a constitutive plasticity model, capable of yield drop behaviour and therefore Lüders strains, by Zhang et al. (2001). Tensile tests were carried out at several strain rates to characterise the material behaviour. The results of these tests were used to fit parameters in the constitutive plasticity model. The FE model was then tested on a complex loading situation of in-plane compression of a compact tension (CT) specimen. The FE model predicts the shape and formation of the Lüders bands well. This FE model, using Zhang’s constitutive plasticity model, was used to predict the residual stress profile to compare with standard elastic–plastic isotropic hardening models with no yield point. The yield point reduced both the predicted peak tensile stress, at the notch root, and the amount of plastic strain. In regions where the plastic strain was of a similar size to the Lüders strain the stress profiles were perturbed from flat profiles predicted by the standard elastic–plastic hardening models.     

A plasticity model for pressure-dependent anisotropic cellular solids

The initial and subsequent yield surfaces for an anisotropic and pressure-dependent 2D stochastic cellular material, which represents solid foams, are investigated under biaxial loading using finite element analysis. Scalar measures of stress and strain, namely characteristic stress and characteristic strain, are used to describe the constitutive response of cellular material along various stress paths. The coupling between loading path and strain hardening is then investigated in characteristic stress–strain domain. The nature of the flow rule that best describes the plastic flow of cellular solid is also investigated. An incremental plasticity framework is proposed to describe the pressure-dependent plastic flow of 2D stochastic cellular solids. The proposed plasticity framework adopts the anisotropic and pressure-dependent yield function recently introduced by Alkhader and Vural [Alkhader M., Vural M., 2009a. An energy-based anisotropic yield criterion for cellular solids and validation by biaxial FE simulations. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 57(5), 871–890]. It has been shown that the proposed yield function can be simply calibrated using elastic constants and flow stresses under uniaixal loading. Comparison of stress fields predicted by continuum plasticity model to the ones obtained from FE analysis shows good agreement for the range of loading paths and strains investigated.     

A spectrally formulated finite element for wave propagation analysis in functionally graded beams

In this paper, spectral finite element method is employed to analyse the wave propagation behavior in a functionally graded (FG) beam subjected to high frequency impulse loading, which can be either thermal or mechanical. A new spectrally formulated element that has three degrees of freedom per node (based upon the first order shear deformation theory) is developed, which has an exact dynamic stiffness matrix, obtained by exactly solving the homogeneous part of the governing equations in the frequency domain. The element takes into account the variation of thermal and mechanical properties along its depth, which can be modeled either by explicit distribution law like the power law and the exponential law or by rule of mixture as used in composite. Ability of the element in capturing the essential wave propagation behavior other than predicting the propagating shear mode (which appears only at high frequency and is present only in higher order beam theories), is demonstrated. Propagation of stress wave and smoothing of depthwise stress distribution with time is presented. Dependence of cut-off frequency and maximum stress gradient on material properties and FG material (FGM) content is studied. The results are compared with the 2D plane stress FE and 1D Beam FE formulation. The versatility of the method is further demonstrated through the response of FG beam due to short duration highly transient temperature loading.     

Microstructural modeling of asphalt concrete using a coupled moisture–mechanical constitutive relationship

The coupled effect of moisture diffusion and mechanical loading on the microstructure of asphalt concrete is studied. The traditional Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) framework is modified to model detrimental effects of moisture and mechanical loading. Adhesive/cohesive moisture-induced damage constitutive relationships are proposed to describe the time-dependent degradation of material properties due to moisture. X-ray two-dimensional (2D) computed tomography-imaging technique is used to construct finite element (FE) microstructural representation of a typical dense-graded asphalt concrete. After being calibrated against pull-off experiments, the proposed moisture-induced damage constitutive relationship, which is coupled to thermo-viscoelastic–viscoplastic–viscodamage mechanisms, is used to simulate the microstructure of asphalt concrete. Simulation results demonstrate that the generated 2D FE microstructural representation along with the coupled moisture–mechanical constitutive relationship can be effectively used to model the overall thermo-hygro-mechanical response of asphalt concrete.     

基于偶应力理论的格栅材料等效介质模型

考察了结构最小尺寸与材料特征长度量级相当的格栅材料等效性能,建议了基于偶应力理论的格栅材料等效介质模型以及确定等效模量的代表体元模型,给出了相应的位移边界条件. 在此基础上导出了正交各向异性偶应力介质的特征长度表达式和偶应力介质梁的抗弯刚度表达式,定义了偶应力影响因子\delta以表征梁的偶应力效应. 具体计算了几种典型的格栅材料的等效偶应力模量以及格栅梁在一定工况下的挠曲线,并与相应的有限元离散解进行对比,结果表明,等效结果具有较高精度,且当宏观结构的尺寸和微结构尺寸相差不大时,宏观结构表现出强烈的偶应力效应.偶应力介质的特征长度表征了偶应力效应的强弱,进而分析了格栅材料的相对密度,单胞尺寸以及几何构型对等效介质特征长度的影响.      

On the transverse compression response of Kevlar KM2 using fiber-level finite element model

Flexible textile composites like woven Kevlar fabrics are widely used in high velocity impact (HVI) applications. Upon HVI they are subjected to both longitudinal tensile and transverse compressive loads. To understand the role of transverse properties, the single fiber and tow transverse compression response (SFTCR and TTCR) of Kevlar KM2 fibers are numerically analyzed using plane strain finite element (FE) models. A finite strain formulation with a minimum number of 84 finite elements is determined to be required for the fiber cross section to capture the finite strain SFTCR through a mesh convergence study. Comparison of converged numerical solution to the experimental results indicates the dominant role of geometric stiffening at finite strains due to growth in contact width. The TTCR is studied using a fiber length scale FE model of a single tow comprised of 400 fibers transversely loaded between rigid platens. This study along with micrographs of yarn after mechanical compaction illustrates fiber spreading and fiber–fiber contact friction interactions are important deformation mechanisms at finite strains. The TTCR is also studied using homogenized yarn level models with properties from the literature. Comparison of TTCR between fiber length scale and homogenized yarn length scale models indicate the need for a nonlinear material model for homogenized approaches to accurately predict the transverse compression response of the fabrics.     

桁架板等效刚度分析

桁架材料的连续介质等效模型的研究已有相当基础,而工程中桁架材料往往以类板结构形式出现,其变形表现出明显的弯曲特征。将类板桁架材料采用弯曲板模型模拟,研究合理的方法确定等效板模型的刚度具有重要意义。本文在基于Kirchhoff假定的小挠度薄板弹性理论框架下,研究了类板桁架材料的等效弯曲薄板模型,提出了确定薄板模型等效刚度的基于Dirichlet位移边界条件的代表体元法,给出了确定各刚度系数所对应的代表体元的边界位移形式。具体计算了几种典型形式桁架板的等效刚度,并采用有限元离散模型和实验技术分析了桁架板在一定的边界约束和荷载作用下的响应,并与等效板模型的分析结果进行了对比。结果表明,在响应分析中,具有等效刚度的薄板模型可准确模拟类板桁架材料;连续介质板等效刚度计算的积分法不能给出准确的桁架板等效刚度,而基于Dirichlet位移边界条件的代表体元法获得的等效板的刚度具有很高的精度。