ObjectiveTo study the experimental biomechanics of acetabular posterior wall fractures so as to provide theoretical basis for its clinical treatment. MethodsSix formalin-preserved cadaveric pelvises were divided into groups A and B (n=3). The fracture models of superior-posterior wall and inferior-posterior wall of the acetabulum were created on both hips in group A;fractures were fixed with two interfragmentary screws and a locking reconstruction plate. The fracture models of superior-posterior wall of acetabulum were created on both hips in group B;fractures were fixed with two interfragmentary screws and a locking reconstruction plate at one side, and with acetabular tridimensional memory fixation system (ATMFS) at the other side. The biomechanical testing machine was used to load to 1 500 N at 10 mm/min speed for 30 seconds. The displacement of superior and inferior fracture sites was analyzed with the digital image correlation technology. ResultsNo fracture or internal fixation breakage occurred during loading and measuring;the displacement valuess of the upper and lower fracture lines were below 2 mm (the clinically tolerable maximum value) in 2 groups. In group A, the displacement values of the upper and lower fracture lines at superior-posterior wall fracture site were significantly higher than those at inferior-posterior wall fracture site (P<0.01), and the displacement values of the upper fracture line were significantly higher than those of lower fracture line (P<0.01) in two fracture types. In group B, the displacement values of the upper and lower fracture lines at the side fixed with screws and a locking reconstruction plate were similar to the values at the side fixed with ATMFS, all being close to 2 mm;the displacement values of the upper fracture line were significantly higher than those of lower fracture line (P<0.05) in two fixation types. ConclusionThe actual biomechanical effect of the superior-posterior wall of acetabulum is much greater than that of the inferior-posterior wall of acetabulum and they should be discriminated, which might be the reasons of reduction loss, femoral head subluxation, and traumatic arthritis during follow-up.
This study aims to investigate whether displacement force on stents can accurately represents the displacement of the stent after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) by comparing the measured stent displacement with the displacement forces calculated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). And the effect of cross-limb and parallel-limb EVAR on stent displacements is further studied. Based on our objective, in this study, ten cross-limb EVAR patients and ten parallel-limb EVAR patients in West China Hospital of Sichuan University were enrolled. Patient-specific models were first reconstructed based on the computed tomography angiography images, then the stent displacements were measured, and the displacement forces acting on the stents were calculated by CFD. Finally, the \begin{document}$ \mathrm{cos}\;\alpha $\end{document} value of the angle between the displacement force and the displacement vector was used to analyze the matching degree between the displacement and the displacement force. The results showed that the displacement forces on cross-limb stents and parallel-limb stents were (2.67 ± 2.14) N and (1.36 ± 0.48) N, respectively. Displacements of stent gravity center, stent displacements relative to vessel, and vessel displacements of cross-limb and parallel-limb stents were (4.43 ± 2.81) mm and (6.39 ± 2.62) mm, (0.88 ± 0.67) mm and (1.11 ± 0.71) mm, (3.55 ± 2.88) mm and (5.28 ± 2.52) mm, respectively. The mean \begin{document}$ \mathrm{cos}\;\alpha $\end{document} for cross-limb and parallel-limb stents were 0.02 ± 0.66 and − 0.10 ± 0.73, respectively. This study indicates that the displacement force on the stent can’t accurately represent the displacement of the stent after EVAR. In addition, the cross-limb EVAR is probably safer and more stable than the parallel-limb EVAR.