Finite Element Simulation: Tensile Test of Rib Cortical Bone

Thoracic trauma is the principal causative factor in 30% of road traffic deaths [1]. And when 6 or more ribs are fractured, mortality rate and associated injuries to the head and thorax are increased significantly [2].

This thesis work was carried out to improve the understanding of the mechanical properties of the human rib. These properties are necessary in order to develop realistic finite element models of human chest which are used in the field of vehicle safety. The purpose of this study was to collect values for the rib mechanical properties obtained experimentally. And to compare the values of material properties of human rib cortical bone used in the FE simulation of THUMS with the material properties of human rib cortical bone of PMHS analyzed by Kemper et al. with a tensile test [3]. It has been simulated a tensile test of a specimen of cortical bone of the rib with a FEM in Ls Dyna. The cortical bone has considered a piecewise linear plasticity material and it has been simulated with shell elements. The specimen was loaded at a rate of 5 mm/s (0.5 strains/s). The results of the traction test have been compared with those of Kemper et al. realized on six PMHS. It has been observed that the FE model results are closer to the experimental results if strain rate parameters are not used.

Keywords: Finite Element Method; cortical bone; stress; strain

Year	Entry
2005	Charpail E, Trosseille X, Petit P, Laporte S, Lavaste F, Vallancien G. Characterization of PMHS ribs: a new test methodology. Stapp Car Crash J. 2005;49:183-198. SAE 2005-22-0009.
2006	Charpail E. Analyse du comportement mecanique des cotes humaines en dynamique [Mechanical Behavior Analysis of Human Ribs in Dynamics] [PhD thesis]. Paris, France: l’École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers; October 27, 2006.
2006	Kimpara H, Iwamoto M, Watanabe I, Miki K, Lee JB, Yang KH, King AI. Effect of assumed stiffness and mass density on the impact response of the human chest using a three-dimensional FE model of the human body. J Biomech Eng. October 2006;128(5):772-776.
2007	Beaupied H, Lespessailles E, Benhamou C-L. Evaluation of macrostructural bone biomechanics. Joint Bone Spine. May 2007;74(3):233-239.
2003	Kimpara H, Iwamoto M, Miki K, Lee JB, Begeman PC, Yang KH, King AI. Biomechanical properties of the male and female chest subjected to frontal and lateral impacts. In: Proceedings of the 2003 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 25, 2003; Lisbon, Portugal.235-247.
2006	Mercer C, He MY, Wang R, Evans AG. Mechanisms governing the inelastic deformation of cortical bone and application to trabecular bone. Acta Biomater. January 2006;2(1):59-68.
1998	Yoganandan N, Pintar FA. Biomechanics of human thoracic ribs. J Biomech Eng. February 1998;120(1):100-104.
2010	Li Z, Kindig MW, Kerrigan JR, Untaroiu CD, Subit D, Crandall JR, Kent RW. Rib fractures under anterior–posterior dynamic loads: experimental and finite-element study. J Biomech. January 19, 2010;43(2):228-234.
1999	Turner CH, Rho J, Takano Y, Tsui TY, Pharr GM. The elastic properties of trabecular and cortical bone tissues are similar: results from two microscopic measurement techniques. J Biomech. April 1999;32(4):437-441.
2008	Arregui-Dalmases C, Del Pozo E, Duprey S, Lopez-Valdes FJ, Lau A, Subit D, Kent R. A parametric study of hard tissue injury prediction using finite elements: consideration of geometric complexity, failure theory, sub-failure material properties, thresholding, and element characteristics. In: Proceedings of the 2008 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 17-19, 2008; Bern, Switzerland.211-223.
2003	Stitzel JD, Cormier JM, Barretta JT, Kennedy EA, Smith EP, Rath AL, Duma SM, Matsuoka F. Defining regional variation in the material properties of human rib cortical bone and its effect on fracture prediction. Stapp Car Crash J. 2003;47:243-265. SAE 2003-22-0012.
2004	Pithioux M, Subit D, Chabrand P. Comparison of compact bone failure under two different loading rates: experimental and modelling approaches. Med Eng Phys. 2004;26(8):647-653.
2007	Bessho M, Ohnishi I, Matsuyama J, Matsumoto T, Imai K, Nakamura K. Prediction of strength and strain of the proximal femur by a CT-based finite element method. J Biomech. 2007;40(8):1745-1753.
2008	Pipkorn B, Halldin P, Jakobsson L, Iraeus J, Backlund M, Mroz K, Lanner D, Holmqvist K, Kleiven S. Mathematical occupant models in side impacts: a validation study with particular emphasis on the torso and shoulder and their influence on head and neck motion. In: Proceedings of the 2008 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 17-19, 2008; Bern, Switzerland.99-114.
2008	Hansen U, Zioupos P, Simpson R, Currey JD, Hynd D. The effect of strain rate on the mechanical properties of human cortical bone. J Biomech Eng. February 2008;130(1):011011.
2006	Murakami D, Kobayashi S, Torigaki T, Kent R. Finite element analysis of hard and soft tissue contributions to thoracic response: sensitivity analysis of fluctuations in boundary conditions. Stapp Car Crash J. 2006;50:169-189. SAE 2006-22-0008.
2007	Kemper AR, McNally C, Pullins CA, Freeman LJ, Duma SM, Rouhana SW. The biomechanics of human ribs: material and structural properties from dynamic tension and bending tests. Stapp Car Crash J. 2007;51:235-273. SAE 2007-22-0011.
2003	Kaneko TS, Pejcic MR, Tehranzadeh J, Keyak JH. Relationships between material properties and CT scan data of cortical bone with and without metastatic lesions. Med Eng Phys. July 2003;25(6):445-454.
2005	Kemper AR, McNally C, Kennedy EA, Manoogian SJ, Rath AL, Ng TP, Stitzel JD, Smith EP, Duma SM, Matsuoka F. Material properties of human rib cortical bone from dynamic tension coupon testing. Stapp Car Crash J. 2005;49:199-230. SAE 2005-22-0010.

Year

Entry

2005

Charpail E, Trosseille X, Petit P, Laporte S, Lavaste F, Vallancien G. Characterization of PMHS ribs: a new test methodology. Stapp Car Crash J. 2005;49:183-198. SAE 2005-22-0009.

2006

Charpail E. Analyse du comportement mecanique des cotes humaines en dynamique [Mechanical Behavior Analysis of Human Ribs in Dynamics] [PhD thesis]. Paris, France: l’École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers; October 27, 2006.

2006

Kimpara H, Iwamoto M, Watanabe I, Miki K, Lee JB, Yang KH, King AI. Effect of assumed stiffness and mass density on the impact response of the human chest using a three-dimensional FE model of the human body. J Biomech Eng. October 2006;128(5):772-776.

2007

Beaupied H, Lespessailles E, Benhamou C-L. Evaluation of macrostructural bone biomechanics. Joint Bone Spine. May 2007;74(3):233-239.

2003

Kimpara H, Iwamoto M, Miki K, Lee JB, Begeman PC, Yang KH, King AI. Biomechanical properties of the male and female chest subjected to frontal and lateral impacts. In: Proceedings of the 2003 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 25, 2003; Lisbon, Portugal.235-247.