Journal Tittle: Acta Mechanica Sinica
Article Tittle: Biomechanical modeling of metal screw loadings on the human vertebra
Author: Leonardo Molinari, Cristina Falcinelli, Alessio Gizzi, Alberto Di Martino
Novelty/impact/significance
1. Development of a novel computational approach to investigate the effect of pedicle screw insertion angles on the risk of fracture of vertebra.
Scientific question
This study investigated the screws insertion angle that furnishes a more favorable stress distribution and thus reduces failure events such as screw breakage and loosening
Key of how
The caudomedial trajectory resulted in the most safe case, leading to significantly lower stress concentrations in both trabecular bone and screws. This finding represents a useful indication to surgeons regarding the screw insertion angle, further reducing the risk of failure and improving the clinical outcome of the fixation procedure.
Major points
1. Fracture risk assessment of instrumented vertebra
2. CT-based subject-specific FE modeling of human vertebra
3. Development of a custom algorithm to identify the thin layer of cortical bone of vertebra to ensure a realistic distribution of material properties from CT images
Please go to the website to read this article: http://ams.cstam.org.cn/EN/abstract/abstract157373.shtml