Modelling healing of geriatric distal femoral fracture fixation for pre-operative planning
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Bioengineering
Abstract
There is currently no consensus on best practices in the surgical management and rehabilitation of distal femoral fractures. Research into ideal fixation construct configurations yields conflicting results due to the large number of mechanical parameters. The proposed project involves the development and validation of a pre-operative planning system for surgical management of distal femoral fractures. A finite element model will be developed to simulate the mechanical conditions within the fracture-fixator construct and a fuzzy logics algorithm will be developed to model bone healing based on the simulated mechanical conditions. The system will take patient data inputs including fracture pattern and geometry and simulate the fracture healing time for a variety of fixation configurations to identify the combination operative and post-operative management option with the fastest healing time.
Preliminary work has investigated contact simulation models of varying computational expense for the screw-bone interface in locking plate fixated fractures. Additional work is required, however, modelling of the screw shaft threads appears prohibitively computationally expensive. Planned methodology for experimental validation tests are described. Future work for the completion and testing for validation of the proposed system are described.
Preliminary work has investigated contact simulation models of varying computational expense for the screw-bone interface in locking plate fixated fractures. Additional work is required, however, modelling of the screw shaft threads appears prohibitively computationally expensive. Planned methodology for experimental validation tests are described. Future work for the completion and testing for validation of the proposed system are described.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/T51780X/1 | 01/10/2020 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2614484 | Studentship | EP/T51780X/1 | 05/10/2020 | 31/03/2024 | George Morgan |
| Description | Algorithms have previously been developed to simulate the fracture healing process and how this is affected by mechanical loading. However, existing algorithms have been shown to be poorly characterized and validated across different fracture types and conditions. Specifically, algorithms are usually validated on only one fracture type and lack rigourous quantitative validation. |
| Exploitation Route | After further development, the fracture healing algorithm developed in this project will be uploaded to a publicly accessible space. Other researchers will be able to use this tool rather than having to develop their own algorithms from scratch. Additionally, as part of this project, the algorithm will be used to analyse and compare different fracture fixation methods for femoral fractures and report any findings, which could have impact in clinical practice, as well as medical device development. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |