Finite element analysis in vertebrate biomechanics

Abstract

This special issue of The Anatomical Record presents a series of papers that apply the method of finite element analysis (FEA) to questions in vertebrate biomechanics. These papers are salient examples of the use of FEA to test hypotheses regarding structure-function relationships in complexly shaped biological objects such as skulls and in areas of the skeleton that are otherwise impervious to study. FEA is also a powerful tool for studying patterns of stress and strain in fossil animals and artificial constructs hypothesized to represent ancestral conditions. FEA has been used deductively, to study patterns of growth and development, and to investigate whether skull shapes can be created from amorphous blocks using an iterative approach of loading and removing elements. Several of the papers address methodological issues, such as the relative importance of loading conditions and material properties for generating an accurate model and the validation of models using in vivo strain data. Continuing improvements in model building techniques will make possible increased application of FEA to study the functional effects of variation in morphology, whether through ontogenetic or phylogenetic transformations. Key words: finite-element analysis; fossils; dinosaurs; primates; skulls; bone strain; stress Finite-element modeling (FEM) is a numerical tool for solving complex mathematical problems in order to determine patterns of stress, strain, deflections, heat transfer, fluid flow, etc., in computer models of structural components. FEM provides a method for addressing a range of questions that are otherwise intractable, or very difficult to solve , this issue), and is potentially one of the most powerful tools in the methodological arsenal of vertebrate biomechanics.One of the central aims of vertebrate biomechanics is elucidating the functional consequences attendant on the remarkable histological and morphological diversity of vertebrate skeletal tissues (Currey, 2002). This structurefunction relationship is important to clinically oriented research on various disorders or diseases of the skeleton, research aimed at improving skeletal health during longterm space flight, as well as interpretation of skeletons found in the fossil and archeological records. The formfunction relationships of the skeleton are therefore of concern to bioengineers, clinicians, biological anthropologists, and paleontologists, and FEM provides a method for studying them.The availability of increasingly powerful computers at progressively more affordable prices has made FEM an accessible tool for vertebrate biomechanists. Consequently, the wide use of FEM in clinical research is now beginning to be replicated in basic science research. Those of us who are not finite-element modelers can see that FEM clearly presents opportunities, but what is it precisely, and what are its limitations?These questions were addressed in a symposium on finite-element analysis of vertebrate skulls at the International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology in...

Biomechanics of the rostrum in crocodilians: A comparative analysis using finite‐element modeling

“…FE has been employed to model biological structures for more than 2 decades (for summary, see Ross, 2005), and recent studies have made use of high-resolution meshes (Rayfield et al, 2001;Dumont et al, 2005;Rayfield, 2005;Ross et al, 2005;Strait et al, 2005) and the validation of FE models against in vivo/in vitro data (Metzger et al, 2005;Strait et al, 2005). In the context of our study, the work of Metzger et al (2005) is of particular relevance; by using the Alligator skull mesh generated by Daniel and McHenry (2001) and comparing the FE model with in vivo strain data from two subadult Alligator mississippiensis and predictions based on simple beam models, the authors were able to evaluate the accuracy of beam and FE models in predicting in vivo patterns of strain during biting.…”

Descripción Anatómica y Funcional del Húmero del Tití Gris (Saguinus leucopus)

“…Su postura y locomoción son cuadrúpedas, se moviliza principalmente con saltos, y presenta la capacidad de suspenderse y adherirse a las ramas y troncos de los ár-boles (Defler). Los estudios morfológicos del húmero siguen siendo realizados y en ellos se toman como referentes los diversos relieves óseos como tuberosidades, crestas, cabeza (Somesh et al, 2011), tróclea (Thewissen et al, 2001) entre otros, que permiten a los anatomistas (Somesh et al) y otros profesionales, tener una mejor comprensión de este hueso del miembro torácico, ya que las diversas y complejas formas deben ser buscadas para entender sus relaciones con la función (Ross, 2005) en primates (Cossins, 2013). En ello un acercamiento a la locomoción incluyendo algunos primates que son cuadrúpedos (Yamanaka et al, 2005), y no se escapa de ello, el estudio de la morfología animal, como es el caso del tití gris (Saguinus leucopus).…”

What's BMD and What We Do in a BMD Centre?

“…Ross mentions that form-function relationships of the skeleton are therefore of concern to bioengineers, clinicians, biological anthropologists, and paleontologists, and FEM provides a method for studying them. He also suggests that the availability of increasingly powerful computers at progressively more affordable prices has made FEM an accessible tool for biomechanists and the wide use of FEM in clinical research is now imitating many basic science researches (Ross, 2005). Finite element can be helpful in femoral characteristics finding as helpful as is in spinal vertebrae and finding the mechanisms and risk factors for fracture.…”