PURPOSE To study the biomechanical characteristics (percent stretch, stiffness, and ultimate load) of 2 distal fixation techniques for an active tendon implant used in the reconstruction of flexor tendons. METHODS We evaluated percent stretch after cyclical loading and at failure, stiffness during load-to-failure, and peak load of 28 bone-prosthesis junctions using cadaveric canine middle pha...

OBJECTIVE Antiretroviral therapy (ART) management for HIV-infected children is critical in many resource-constrained countries. We investigated the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of different frequencies of monitoring plasma viral load among HIV-positive children initiating ART in a resource-limited setting. DESIGN/METHODS A stochastic agent-based simulation model was built and directly ...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical properties of a new anatomical locking metal block plate by comparing the initial biomechanical stability of three different fixation constructs for open wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO). MATERIALS AND METHODS Sawbones composite tibiae were used to make a 10-mm opening osteotomy model with uniplane technique. The osteotomy w...

Reliability models of systems with common cause failure are developed through system-level load-strength interference analysis. Based on the statistic meaning of random load action and the failure mechanism of systems under repeated random load, the effect of multiple action of random load on reliability is studied. The probability cumulative distribution function and the probability density fu...

This paper presents a novel method for prediction of the mechanical behavior of proximal femur using the general framework of the quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based finite element Analysis (FEA). A systematic imaging and modeling procedure was developed for reliable correspondence between the QCT-based FEA and the in-vitro mechanical testing. A speciallydesigned holding frame was used...

PURPOSE New all-inside meniscal repair devices include those combining sutures with anchors and that allow for an "adjustable" repair. This study's purpose was to compare the failure strength of new meniscal repair devices with suture repairs. TYPE OF STUDY Experimental laboratory biomechanical study. METHODS A single repair was placed in a vertical longitudinal peripheral tear made in fres...

This paper considers a model for cascades on random networks in which the cascade propagation at any node depends on the load at the failed neighbor, the degree of the neighbor as well as the load at that node. Each node in the network bears an initial load that is below the capacity of the node. The trigger for the cascade emanates at a single node or a small fraction of the nodes from some ex...

Since 1990 the annual number of extreme weather and climate related events has doubled in comparison to the previous decade. These events account for about 80% of all economic losses caused by catastrophic events (European Environment Agency (2004), 70). In the course of climate change they are projected to happen even more often. Therefore economic losses due to weather and climate related eve...

PURPOSE This in vitro study aimed to compare the failure load and failure characteristics of two different zirconia framework designs of premolar crowns when subjected to static loading. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two types of zirconia frameworks, conventional 0.5 mm even thickness framework design (EV) and 0.8 mm cutback of full contour crown anatomy design (CB), were made for 10 samples each. Th...

The failure criterion of Leguillon at reentrant corners in brittle elastic materials (Leguillon 2002, Eur J Mech A/Solids 21: 61–72; Leguillon et al. (2003), Eur J Mech A—Solids 22(4): 509–524) validated in (Yosibash et al. 2004, Int J Fract 125(3–4): 307–333) for mode I loading is being extended to mixed mode loading and is being validated by experimental observations. We present an explicit d...