scholarly journals Crack Propagation in the Tibia Bone within Total Knee Replacement Using the eXtended Finite Element Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4435
Author(s):  
Ho-Quang NGUYEN ◽  
Trieu-Nhat-Thanh NGUYEN ◽  
Thinh-Quy-Duc PHAM ◽  
Van-Dung NGUYEN ◽  
Xuan Van TRAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Crack Initiation ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Fatigue Crack Initiation ◽  
Fracture Prevention ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Extended Finite Element ◽  
Tibia Bone ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Final Failure

Understanding of fracture mechanics of the human knee structures within total knee replacement (TKR) allows a better decision support for bone fracture prevention. Numerous studies addressed these complex injuries involving the femur bones but the full macro-crack propagation from crack initiation to final failure and age-related effects on the tibia bone were not extensively studied. The present study aimed to develop a patient-specific model of the human tibia bone and the associated TKR implant, to study fatigue and fracture behaviors under physiological and pathological (i.e., age-related effect) conditions. Computed tomography (CT) data were used to develop a patient-specific computational model of the human tibia bone (cortical and cancellous) and associated implants. First, segmentation and 3D-reconstruction of the geometrical models of the tibia and implant were performed. Then, meshes were generated. The locations of crack initiation were identified using the clinical observation and the fatigue crack initiation model. Then, the propagation of the crack in the bone until final failure was investigated using the eXtended finite element method (X-FEM). Finally, the obtained outcomes were analyzed and evaluated to investigate the age-effects on the crack propagation behaviors of the bone. For fatigue crack initiation analysis, the stress amplitude–life S–N curve witnessed a decrease with increasing age. The maximal stress concentration caused by cyclic loading resulted in the weakening of the tibia bone under TKR. For fatigue crack propagation analysis, regarding simulation with the implant, the stress intensity factorand the energy release rate tended to decrease, as compared to the tibia model without the implant, from 0.152.5 to 0.111.9 (MPa) and from 10240 to 5133 (J), respectively. This led to the drop in crack propagation speed. This study provided, for the first time, a detailed view on the full crack path from crack initiation to final failure of the tibia bone within the TKR implant. The obtained outcomes also suggested that age (i.e., bone strength) also plays an important role in tibia crack and bone fracture. In perspective, patient-specific bone properties and dynamic loadings (e.g., during walking or running) are incorporated to provide objective and quantitative indicators for crack and fracture prevention, during daily activities.

Modeling of Fatigue Crack Propagation

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanyao Jiang ◽  
Miaolin Feng
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Crack Initiation ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Fatigue Crack Propagation ◽  
Fatigue Crack Initiation ◽  
Cyclic Plasticity ◽  
R Ratio

Fatigue crack propagation was modeled by using the cyclic plasticity material properties and fatigue constants for crack initiation. The cyclic elastic-plastic stress-strain field near the crack tip was analyzed using the finite element method with the implementation of a robust cyclic plasticity theory. An incremental multiaxial fatigue criterion was employed to determine the fatigue damage. A straightforward method was developed to determine the fatigue crack growth rate. Crack propagation behavior of a material was obtained without any additional assumptions or fitting. Benchmark Mode I fatigue crack growth experiments were conducted using 1070 steel at room temperature. The approach developed was able to quantitatively capture all the important fatigue crack propagation behaviors including the overload and the R-ratio effects on crack propagation and threshold. The models provide a new perspective for the R-ratio effects. The results support the notion that the fatigue crack initiation and propagation behaviors are governed by the same fatigue damage mechanisms. Crack growth can be treated as a process of continuous crack nucleation.

scholarly journals Performance Evaluation of a Carbon Nanotube Sensor for Fatigue Crack Monitoring of Metal Structures

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 4383
Author(s):  
Shafique Ahmed ◽  
Thomas Schumacher ◽  
Erik T. Thostenson ◽  
Jennifer McConnell
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Carbon Nanotube ◽  
Crack Initiation ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Real Time ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Fatigue Crack Initiation ◽  
Resistance Change ◽  
Metal Structures

This article describes research that investigated the ability of a carbon nanotube (CNT) sensor to detect and monitor fatigue crack initiation and propagation in metal structures. The sensor consists of a nonwoven carrier fabric with a thin film of CNT that is bonded to the surface of a structure using an epoxy adhesive. The carrier fabric enables the sensor to be easily applied over large areas with complex geometries. Furthermore, the distributed nature of the sensor improves the probability of detecting crack initiation and enables monitoring of crack propagation over time. Piezoresistivity of the sensor enables strains to be monitored in real time and the sensor, which is designed to fragment as fatigue cracks propagate, directly measures crack growth through permanent changes in resistance. The following laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the sensor: (1) continuous crack propagation monitoring, (2) potential false positive evaluation under near-threshold crack propagation conditions, and (3) crack re-initiation detection at a crack-stop hole, which is a commonly used technique to arrest fatigue cracks. Real-time sensor measurements and post-mortem fractography show that a distinguishable resistance change of the sensor occurs due to fatigue crack propagation that can be quantitatively related to crack length. The sensor does not show false positive responses when the crack does not propagate, which is a drawback of many other fatigue sensors. The sensor is also shown to be remarkably sensitive to detecting crack re-initiation.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Thermal Fatigue Properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mg Alloys

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-298
Author(s):  
Wei Chao ◽  
Liu Guang-lei ◽  
Wan Hao ◽  
Li Yu-shan ◽  
Si Nai-chao
Keyword(s):  
Heat Treatment ◽  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Crack Initiation ◽  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Thermal Fatigue ◽  
Fatigue Crack Initiation ◽  
Fatigue Properties ◽  
Eutectic Si ◽  
Al Matrix

AbstractThe effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and thermal fatigue properties were studied by means of optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX) was used to analyze the role of phase composition in fatigue crack propagation. The results show that after heat treatment, the ultimate tensile strength increased from 285 MPa to 368 MPa and the elongation increased from 5.8 % to 6.5 %. During the initiation of fatigue crack, the crack was mainly propagated through eutectic Si area. With the long needles of eutectic Si particles spherodized after heat treatment, the split action from brittle Si particles to α-Al matrix was reduced and prolonged the fatigue crack initiation period. After aging for 6 h, the dispersed precipitation of secondary phases (Al2Cu, Mg2Si) elevated the driving force of crack propagation, blocked the spread of crack in the grain boundary, decreased the rate of fatigue crack growth and improved the fatigue resistance of alloy at the same time. In the process of crack initiation, the surplus-phase around the grain boundary fell off from α-Al matrix under thermal cycling stresses. The combination of interfaces was weaken by cycling stress and the fatigue crack was finally grown up in the weakness area between matrix and secondary phase.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document