DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/T8PW-6Y73
Defense Date
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Biomedical Engineering
First Advisor
Jennifer Wayne
Abstract
Injury to the medial malleolus, the distal end of the tibia and one of the bones comprising the ankle joint, can occur in various loading scenarios. Open reduction/internal fixation (ORIF) to reattach the malleolar fragment to the proximal tibia can be achieved via various devices, however small fragments are particularly challenging to treat. In this study, computational finite element analysis (FEA) was utilized to investigate the fixation of transverse medial malleolar fractures by two cancellous screws or by a new fixation device, the Medial Malleolar Sled™. Cadaveric testing assessed the performance of the two constructs in both tension and torsion. Following experimentation, the cadaveric study was modeled in SolidWorks and analyzed via FEA to validate the model against the experimental results. Overall, stress analysis was indicative of areas of relatively higher stress concentrations that correlated with failure locations in the experiment. Such results speak to the predictive nature of the tension and torsion models created in the study, and to the general utility of computational modeling for the study of biomechanical systems.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
May 2012