Publication Date
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Mary Fendley (Committee Member), Tarun Goswami (Advisor), Tarun Goswami (Committee Member), Andrew Hsu (Other), Richard Laughlin (Committee Member), David Reynolds (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science in Engineering (MSEgr)
Abstract
Total ankle arthroplasty (TAR) is performed in order to reduce the pain and loss of ambulation in patients with various forms of arthritis and trauma. Although replacement devices fail by a number of mechanisms, wear in the polyethylene liner constitutes one of the dominating failure modes. This leads to instability and loosening of the implant. Mechanisms that contribute to wear in the liners are high contact and subsurface stresses that break down the material over time. Therefore, it is important to understand the gait that generates these stresses. Methods to characterize and decrease wear in Ohio TARs have been performed in this research. This research utilizes finite element analysis of WSU patented total ankle replacement models. From the FEA results, mathematical models of contact conditions and wear mechanics were developed. These models were used to determine the best methods for wear characterization and reduction. Furthermore, optimization models were developed based on geometry of the implants. These equations optimize geometry, thus congruency and anatomical simulations for total ankle implants.
Page Count
157
Department or Program
Department of Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering
Year Degree Awarded
2012
Copyright
Copyright 2012, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
