Effect of the bracketless orthodontics technique and resin composite material on the biomechanical response of the upper central incisor: 3D finite element analysis

Objectives: The bracketless orthodontic treatment (BOT) is an alternative technique which indicates using an orthodontic appliance composed of wires and composite resin assisted by 3D technology. However, the biomechanical response of central incisor orthodontic movement has yet to be investigated. Thus, the aim of the present investigation was to calculate the stress magnitude in central incisor movement through 3D finite element analysis using different wire diameters (0.012”, 0.014”, and 0.016”) of nickel–titanium wire and two different resin composites (Opallis and Filtek). Materials and Methods: A 3D volume composed of enamel, dentin, cortical bone, cancellous bone, periodontal ligament, composite resin, and different orthodontic wire diameters was designed. After the modeling process, the models were exported to computer-aided engineering software divided into a finite number of elements, and a mechanical structural static analysis was conducted. Results: The stress results were plotted on colorimetric maps and in tables for comparison between the different models. The results showed that the central incisor orthodontic movement with BOT does not induce damage to the periodontal ligament, dental root, or bone tissue, regardless of the simulated orthodontic wire diameter and resin composite materials. The palatal composite resin and orthodontic wire also presented acceptable stress magnitude during orthodontic movement. Conclusion: Thus, the BOT technique promoted a suitable biomechanical response during central incisor movement regardless the resin composite.

Biomechanical in Vitro and Finite Element Study On Different Sagittal Alignment Postures of the Lumbar Spine During Multiaxial Daily Motion

Lumbar Lordotic correction (LLC), the gold standard treatment for Sagittal Spinal malalignment (SMA), and its effect on sagittal balance have been critically discussed in recent studies. This paper assesses the biomechanical response of the spinal components to LLC as an additional factor for the evaluation of LLC. Human lumbar spines (L2L5) were loaded with combined bending moments in Flexion (Flex)/Extension (Ex) or Lateral Bending (LatBend) and Axial Rotation (AxRot) in a physiological environment. We examined the dependency of AxRot range of motion (RoM) on the applied bending moment. The results were used to validate a Finite Element (FE) model of the lumbar spine. With this model, the biomechanical response of the intervertebral discs (IVD) and facet joints under daily motion was studied for different sagittal spinal alignment (SA) postures, simulated by a motion in Flex/Ex direction. Applied bending moments decreased AxRot RoM significantly (all P<0.001). A stronger decline of AxRot RoM for Ex than for Flex direction was observed (all P<0.0001). Our simulated results largely agreed with the experimental data (all R2>0.79). During daily motion, the IVD was loaded higher with increasing lumbar lordosis (LL) for all evaluated values at L2L3 and L3L4 and posterior Annulus Stress (AS) at L4L5 (all P<0.0476). The results of this study indicate that LLC with large extensions of LL may not always be advantageous regarding the biomechanical loading of the IVD. This finding may be used to improve the planning process of LLC treatments.

The Biomechanical Response of the Cornea in Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology has been widely used to control myopia, but the mechanism is still unknown. To further investigate the underlying mechanism of corneal reshaping using orthokeratology lenses via the finite element method, numerical models with different corneal curvatures, corneal thicknesses, and myopia reduction degrees had been developed and validated to simulate the corneal response and quantify the changes in maximum stress in the central and peripheral corneal areas during orthokeratology. The influence of the factors on corneal response had been analyzed by using median quantile regression. A partial eta squared value in analysis of variance models was established to compare the effect size of these factors. The results showed central and peripheral corneal stress responses changed significantly with increased myopia reduction, corneal curvature, and corneal thickness. The target myopia reduction had the greatest effect on the central corneal stress value (partial eta square = 0.9382), followed by corneal curvature (partial eta square = 0.5650) and corneal thickness (partial eta square = 0.1975). The corneal curvature had the greatest effect on the peripheral corneal stress value (partial eta square = 0.5220), followed by myopia reduction (partial eta square = 0.2375) and corneal thickness (partial eta square = 0.1972). In summary, the biomechanical response of the cornea varies significantly with the change in corneal conditions and lens designs. Therefore, the orthokeratology lens design and the lens fitting process should be taken into consideration in clinical practice, especially for patients with high myopia and steep corneas.

Occlusal Scheme Effect on the Biomechanical Response of Full-Arch Dental Prosthesis Supported by Titanium Implants: A Systematic Review

Dental implant-supported prosthesis are widely used in oral reconstruction of totally edentulous patients. Nonetheless, one of the most common failures in these cases is caused by overloading from improper occlusion. The aim of this work was to determine if the occlusal scheme influences the biomechanical response in implant-supported dental prostheses. Searches were conduct is several databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, and Opengrey). We found 632 publications and 521 studies remained after removing duplicates. After applying the inclusion criteria, five studies were used in this systematic review: one clinical trial, one retrospective clinical trial, one in vitro and two in silico. The results show the lack of clinical and laboratory studies about occlusion in implant-supported prostheses. Although there are several studies regarding implant occlusion schemes, there remains a lack of scientific evidence to support that one specific occlusal scheme is superior to another, or to help define the ideal occlusal scheme that improves the clinical outcome. It can be concluded, however, that the proper distribution of loads and the absence of occlusal interferences can increase implant longevity. Thus, more clinical and laboratory studies must be carried out to obtain an occlusal scheme that favors the clinical success of implant rehabilitation.

In silico investigation of biomechanical response of a human subjected to primary blast

The response of the brain to the explosion induced primary blast waves is actively sought. Over the past decade, reasonable progress has been made in the fundamental understanding of bTBI using head surrogates and animal models. Yet, the current understanding of how blast waves interact with the human is in nascent stages, primarily due to lack of data in humans. The biomechanical response in human is critically required so that connection to the aforementioned bTBI models can be faithfully established. Here, using a detailed, full-body human model, we elucidate the biomechanical cascade of the brain under a primary blast. The input to the model is incident overpressure as achieved by specifying charge mass and standoff distance through ConWep. The full-body model allows to holistically probe short- (<5 ms) and long-term (200 ms) brain biomechanical responses. The full-body model has been extensively validated against impact loading in the past. In this work, we validate the head model against blast loading. We also incorporate structural anisotropy of the brain white matter. Blast wave human interaction is modeled using a conventional weapon modeling approach. We demonstrate that the blast wave transmission, linear and rotational motion of the head are dominant pathways for the biomechanical loading of the brain, and these loading paradigms generate distinct biomechanical fields within the brain. Blast transmission and linear motion of the head govern the volumetric response, whereas the rotational motion of the head governs the deviatoric response. We also observe that blast induced head rotation alone produces a diffuse injury pattern in white matter fiber tracts. Lastly, we find that the biomechanical response under blast is comparable to the impact event. These insights will augment laboratory and clinical investigations of bTBI and help devise better blast mitigation strategies.

Biomechanical Response of the Lower Extremity to Running-Induced Acute Fatigue: A Systematic Review

Objective: To investigate (i) typical protocols used in research on biomechanical response to running-induced fatigue, (ii) the effect of sport-induced acute fatigue on the biomechanics of running and functional tests, and (iii) the consistency of analyzed parameter trends across different protocols.Methods: Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and IEEE databases were searched using terms identified with the Population, Interest and Context (PiCo) framework. Studies were screened following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and appraised using the methodological index for non-randomized studies MINORS scale. Only experimental studies with at least 10 participants, which evaluated fatigue during and immediately after the fatiguing run were included. Each study was summarized to record information about the protocol and parameter trends. Summary trends were computed for each parameter based on the results found in individual studies.Results: Of the 68 included studies, most were based on in-lab (77.9%) protocols, endpoint measurements (75%), stationary measurement systems (76.5%), and treadmill environment (54.4%) for running. From the 42 parameters identified in response to acute fatigue, flight time, contact time, knee flexion angle at initial contact, trunk flexion angle, peak tibial acceleration, CoP velocity during balance test showed an increasing behavior and cadence, vertical stiffness, knee extension force during MVC, maximum vertical ground reaction forces, and CMJ height showed a decreasing trend across different fatigue protocols.Conclusion: This review presents evidence that running-induced acute fatigue influences almost all the included biomechanical parameters, with crucial influence from the exercise intensity and the testing environment. Results indicate an important gap in literature caused by the lack of field studies with continuous measurement during outdoor running activities. To address this gap, we propose recommendations for the use of wearable inertial sensors.