In-silico study of the biomechanical effects of proximal-fibular osteotomy on knee joint contact pressure in varus-valgus misalignment.

The aim of this work is to investigate in-silico the biomechanical effects of a proximal fibular osteotomy (PFO) on a knee joint with different varus/valgus deformities on the progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). A finite element analysis (FEA) of a human lower extremity consisting of the femoral, tibial and fibular bones and the cartilage connecting them was designed. The FEA was performed in a static standing primitive position to determine the contact pressure (CP) distribution and the location of the center of pressure (CoP).

How effective is proximal fibular osteotomy in redistributing joint pressures? Insights from an HTO comparative in-silico study.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) represents a widespread degenerative condition among adults that significantly affects quality of life. This study aims to elucidate the biomechanical implications of proximal fibular osteotomy (PFO), a proposed cost-effective and straightforward intervention for KOA, comparing its effects against traditional high tibial osteotomy (HTO) through in-silico analysis.

Methods: Using medical imaging and finite element analysis (FEA), this research quantitatively evaluates the biomechanical outcomes of a simulated PFO procedure in patients with severe medial compartment genu-varum, who have undergone surgical correction with HTO.

A Mediterranean-Style Diet Plan Is Associated with Greater Effectiveness and Sustainability in Weight Loss in Patients with Obesity after Endoscopic Bariatric Therapy.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a Mediterranean-style diet on weight loss effectiveness and sustainability in patients with obesity who underwent endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBT), relative to a protein diet plan. Thus, 132 patients with obesity (BMI 30-40 kg/m) who underwent EBT, were asked to follow a Mediterranean-style diet plan ( = 52) or a protein diet plan ( = 26) for six months. General linear models were used to compare outcome variables between dietary intervention groups.

Mechanical and Chemical Characterisation of TiN and AlTiSiN Coatings on a LPBF Processed IN718 Substrate.

Wear-resistant coatings development is progressively increasing steeply due to their advantages when applied to mechanical components subjected to abrasive and destructive environments. Titanium nitride (TiN) coating is typically used to enlarge tools and components' service life and improve their surface quality. On the other hand, AlTiSiN coating intends to be applied to more aggressive environments such as spatial satellites components exposed to solar radiation, extremely high temperatures, and random particles impact.

Analysis of the Part Distortions for Inconel 718 SLM: A Case Study on the NIST Test Artifact.

The present paper evaluates the misalignment and geometry distortion of the standard National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) test artifact in Inconel 718 alloy, when several layers with and without supports are employed to manufacture it by the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process. To this end, a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM) is used to measure the geometrical distortion in each manufacturing configuration, following the same measurement protocol. The results show that the laser path strategy favors a thermal gradient which, consequently, induces geometrical distortions in the part.

Surface Damaging of Brass and Steel Pins when Sliding over Nitrided Samples Cut by Finishing and Roughing EDM Conditions.

In the forging industry, surface quality and surface treatments of dies are crucial parameters to extend their life. These components are usually machined by milling or by Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM), and the final surface roughness depends on the machining techniques and operational conditions used in its fabrication. After milling, a nitriding treatment is widely applied to extend its service life.

Estimation of Specific Cutting Energy in an S235 Alloy for Multi-Directional Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Machining Using the Finite Element Method.

The objective of this work is to analyze the influence of the vibration-assisted turning process on the machinability of S235 carbon steel. During the experiments using this vibrational machining process, the vibrational amplitude and frequency of the cutting tool were adjusted to drive the tool tip in an elliptical or linear motion in the feed direction. Furthermore, a finite element analysis was deployed to investigate the mechanical response for different vibration-assisted cutting conditions.

Bio-Inspired Functional Surface Fabricated by Electrically Assisted Micro-Embossing of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy.

Developing bio-inspired functional surfaces on engineering metals is of extreme importance, involving different industrial sectors, like automotive or aeronautics. In particular, micro-embossing is one of the efficient and large-scale processes for manufacturing bio-inspired textures on metallic surfaces. However, this process faces some problems, such as filling defects and die breakage due to size effect, which restrict this technology for some components.

Model Based on an Effective Material-Removal Rate to Evaluate Specific Energy Consumption in Grinding.

Grinding energy efficiency depends on the appropriate selection of cutting conditions, grinding wheel, and workpiece material. Additionally, the estimation of specific energy consumption is a good indicator to control the consumed energy during the grinding process. Consequently, this study develops a model of material-removal rate to estimate specific energy consumption based on the measurement of active power consumed in a plane surface grinding of C45K with different thermal treatments and AISI 304.

Current-Induced Ductility Enhancement of a Magnesium Alloy AZ31 in Uniaxial Micro-Tension Below 373 K.

The size effects in metal forming have been found to be crucial in micro-scale plastic deformation or micro-forming processes, which lead to attenuation of the material's formability due to the increasing heterogeneity of the plastic flow. The use of an electric field during micro-scale plastic deformation has shown to relieve size effects, enhance the material's formability, modify the microstructure, etc. Consequently, these electric-assisted (EA) micro-forming processes seem to bring many potential benefits that need to be investigated.

Influence of the Regime of Electropulsing-Assisted Machining on the Plastic Deformation of the Layer Being Cut.

In this article, the influence of electropulsing on the machinability of steel S235 and aluminium 6060 has been studied during conventional and electropulsing-assisted turning processes. The machinability indices such as chip compression ratio ξ , shear plane angle ϕ and specific cutting energy (SCE) are investigated by using different cutting parameters such as cutting speed, cutting feed and depth of cut during electrically-assisted turning process. The results and analysis of this work indicated that the electrically-assisted turning process improves the machinability of steel S235, whereas the machinability of aluminium 6060 gets worse.

Time measurement characterization of stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand transitions by using a smartphone.

The aim of this study is to analyze a common method to measure the acceleration of a daily activity pattern by using a smartphone. In this sense, a numerical approach is proposed to transform the relative acceleration signal, recorded by a triaxial accelerometer, into an acceleration referred to an inertial reference. The integration of this acceleration allows to determine the velocity and position with respect to an inertial reference.

Differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease and essential tremor using the smartphone's accelerometer.

Background: The differential diagnosis between patients with essential tremor (ET) and those with Parkinson's disease (PD) whose main manifestation is tremor may be difficult unless using complex neuroimaging techniques such as 123I-FP-CIT SPECT. We considered that using smartphone's accelerometer to stablish a diagnostic test based on time-frequency differences between PD an ET could support the clinical diagnosis.

Methods: The study was carried out in 17 patients with PD, 16 patients with ET, 12 healthy volunteers and 7 patients with tremor of undecided diagnosis (TUD), who were re-evaluated one year after the first visit to reach the definite diagnosis.

Impact of hip anatomical variations on the cartilage stress: a finite element analysis towards the biomechanical exploration of the factors that may explain primary hip arthritis in morphologically normal subjects.

Background: Hip arthritis is a pathology linked to hip-cartilage degeneration. Although the etiology of this disease is not well defined, it is known that age is a determinant risk factor. However, hip arthritis in young patients could be largely promoted by biomechanical factors.