Centre for Health Innovation- Bone Mechanobiology
- Bone Biomechanics
- Orthopaedic Biomechanics and Preclinical Analysis of Orthopaedic Implants
- Development of Implantable Medical Devices
- Rehabilitation and Sports Biomechanics
Morphological analysis of proximal femurs in hip resurfacing arthroplasty patients
Investigation of the relationship between morphological parameters of the proximal femur and HRA patient outcomes using patient records from the KHSC database. Semi-automatic 3D methods for determining proximal femur morphological parameters were designed in MATLAB. The 3D morphological measurements gathered were compared to those obtained from traditional 2D methodologies to assess their clinical relevance and efficacy. Morphological measurements were compared between sex, affected side, and implant type subgroups. Accurate and efficient 3D measurement methodologies could increase their clinical use for effective preoperative planning. The results of this study may also inform inclusion and exclusion criteria for HRA.
Student: Kenna Bartlett
Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Ploeg
Modelling and development of material models for Polyurethane (PU) foam, a bone surrogate
Rigid polyurethane (PU) foam is an industry standard bone surrogate as it mimics the mechanical behaviour of cancellous bone. Medical implant industries commonly use PU foam for implant evaluation which includes physical testing and virtual modelling or Finite Element Analysis (FEA); therefore, it is of interest to understand the mechanical behaviour of PU foam to accurately analyse the interaction between implants and PU foam. The objective of this study was to develop material models for the non-linear elastic response of PU foam in Abaqus FEA using mechanical test data. Each mechanical test is accompanied by an FEA model that mimics the experimental setup for verification and validation procedures.
Student: Tarek Issa
Supervisor: Dr. Heidi-Lynn Ploeg
The effects of cementless tibia implant primary fixation and bone surrogate density on the micromotion for osseointegration in total ankle arthroplasty
The proposed study will investigate the interaction between the bone surrogate-implant interface, specifically the tibial component for adequate osseointegration at the ankle by measuring the relative micromotion. The primary fixation feature of the implant and the patient’s bone density plays a significant role in the longevity of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). By understanding this interaction, orthopaedic surgeons will be able to make informed decisions on operative techniques and implant choice to achieve optimal implant primary fixation and stability, which may improve long-term patient outcomes for TAA.
Student: Kevin Nguyen
Supervisor: Dr. Heidi-Lynn Ploeg
Trabecular Bone Modeling Project
Trabecular bone, found at the ends of long bones and in the vertebrae, are common anatomical sites for orthopaedic implants. Establishing a computational model (FEA) that can accurately predict mechanical behavior and stress and strain fields at the bone implant interface could improve success of orthopaedic implantation. By accurately predicting bone fragility and stress and strain fields, these models will improve patient outcomes for complications related to bone disease. Studies related to the trabecular bone project contribute towards constructing a computational trabecular bone model that accurately represents the geometric and material properties and will lead to improved clinical outcomes.
Students: Brian Kunath, Kail Beloglowka, Mahsa Zojaji, Keyvan Ferasat, McKinley Van Klei, Roxolana Smyk, Alexander Hadwen, Lauren Windover
Supervisors: Dr. Heidi-Lynn Ploeg, Dr. Laurent Beland
Dental Implant Project
Edentulism (toothlessness) changes dietary habits, resulting in obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, and Thirty percent of people aged 65-74 years suffer from edentulism globally. Dental implants, as anchors to replace the natural root of the tooth and support dental prostheses have become a standard treatment for edentulous patients. However, like any bone screw, implant loosening is one of the biggest challenges in terms of implant success rate. Therefore, I investigated the primary fixation of the dental implants and measured the implant motion under loading in PU foam, bone surrogate. In parallel, I modelled implantation and implant motion under loading using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Together, we improved our understanding of the mechanical behaviour of the bone-implant interface.
Students: Baixuan Yang, Eli Park
Supervisors: Dr. Heidi-Lynn Ploeg, Nobel Biocare