Spinal implant technology taps in to COSMOS FEA

Company National University Hospital in Copenhagen Industry Medical Location Denmark Product Used COSMOSM Type of Analysis Nonlinear More Details

The Challenge

Cages, rods, screws, hooks, wires, plates and bolts can all be implanted into the spine to relieve the debilitating pain of congenital diseases, fractures and structural diseases such as scoliosis. By its nature a hi-tech discipline, implant technology is now benefiting from advanced computer analysis techniques from COSMOS to help improve the design and configuration of spinal implants.

A new fusion technique requires an understanding of how the bone is likely to grow around the implant, and how the implant will behave once in situ. The implants are designed to remain in the body forever, so there is little room for error. The crucial information that needs to be extracted from research is the stability of the implant. In other words, how will the implant affect, or be affected by, the spine that it is fused to.

The Solution
As a result, researchers are turning to computer simulation, specifically finite element analysis (FEA), to carry out the detailed testing of implants outside the body as a part of the research process. This method has only become possible thanks to advances in FEA software like COSMOS, so that researchers at the National University Hospital in Copenhagen can begin to make real advances in biomechanical technology.

Summary and Metrics:

• Examined the effect of stress shielding on spinal implants
• Provides accurate analysis of dynamic environments such as the human body