No differences between the genders were found for any of the investigated variables. In contrast to custom-made occlusion splints, simple cotton rolls appear not to influence the neuromuscular system in a systematic manner.Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) based finite element (FE) modeling, referred to as QCT-FE, has seen rapid growth and application for modeling bone mechanics. With this approach, varying bone material properties are set via experimentally-derived density-modulus equations. One challenge though associated with QCT-FE is to identify the appropriate mapping strategy for assigning elastic moduli to elements. The goal of this study was to evaluate different QCT-FE mapping strategies to identify the optimum approach with fastest convergence rate and highest accuracy. Four proximal tibial medial compartments were imaged using QCT and experimentally tested to characterize proximal tibial subchondral bone stiffness at four surface points, resulting in a total of 16 indentation measures. Three material mapping methods were analyzed (1) constant-E where an average elastic modulus was assigned to each element; (2) node-based where the material properties were first mapped on nodes then interpolated to Gaussian integration points; and (3) element-based in which the material properties were directly assigned to Gaussian integration points. Different element sizes were assessed with edge-lengths ranging from 0.9 to 3 mm. Results indicated that all converged models showed similar coefficient-of-determination (R2) and normalized root-mean-square errors (RMSE%). Though, the constant-E and node-based methods converged with the element edge-length of 1.5 mm (prediction error of 4.8% and 2.5%, respectively) whereas the element-based method converged with a larger element having an edge-length 2.5 mm (error = 4.9%). In conclusion, the element-based method, with a larger element size, resulted in similar predictive accuracy, faster convergence and shorter run-times relative to the constant-E and node-based approaches. As such, we recommend the element-based method for future subject-specific QCT-FE modeling.Intramedullary beaming is commonly used for medial column arthrodesis to prevent or correct rocker-bottom deformities; however, the biomechanics of these reconstructions have not been rigorously studied. Customized FE models of intramedullary beaming of the medial column were developed and compared to a previous cadaveric study, which resulted in a strong correlation in medial column stiffness (ρ = 0.83, p = .079) and implant failure locations. A design of experiments was performed to quantify the models' sensitivities to varying cortical shell and cartilage thicknesses, cancellous bone and cartilage elastic moduli, and surgical medial column compression distance. Cartilage thickness and cartilage elastic modulus had the largest impact on medial column stiffness and compression distance had the greatest effect on cartilage contact area. Cortical shell thickness and cancellous bone properties did not have a significant effect on the measured parameters for the values tested. Overall, the FE models exhibited behavior that is consistent with known mechanical principles related to bending and composite structures as well as the experimental results. This study elucidates the effects of varying commonly assumed model parameters that can aid future studies aimed at screening implant designs.Schlemm's canal (SC) is a ring structure responsible for maintaining fluid homeostasis in the anterior chamber of the eye by draining aqueous humor (AH) from the trabecular meshwork (TM) into the collecting channel (CC). Obstruction of the AH flow in this conventional pathway leads to an elevation of intraocular pressure in glaucoma, which is internationally recognized as the most common cause of blindness. Although there are obvious morphological differences between patients and healthy individuals, the AH drainage capacity of SC with specific parameters is difficult to quantitatively evaluate due to the limitations of analyses or experimental technologies. In this paper, the AH flow dynamic features under various SC morphological parameters are studied by numerical simulations of 3D models. The axis length of the SC cross-section and the level of openness are chosen as the main morphological factors according to the clinical data. The flow features, including the velocity, streamline and wall shear stress, are analyzed. This study aimed not only to explore the feasibility of 3D numerical modeling in evaluating the SC drainage capacity, but also to reveal the relationship between SC morphological parameters and the dynamic features of AH drainage.The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of a temperature sensor for the measurement of adherence to wearing foot orthoses. Ten participants were provided with foot orthoses containing an embedded temperature sensor and wore the orthoses for a randomly-determined duration over a five-day period. Sensor-detected wear time was compared to a reference standard (objectively measured wear time using a smart-phone application). Ambient temperature and physical activity were recorded with a temperature gauge and wearable activity tracker, respectively. A simple peak detection algorithm which identified the largest one-minute changes in sensor temperature provided highly accurate wear time values (r = 0.999, coefficient of variation=0.2%).  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/4-hydroxytamoxifen-4-ht-afimoxifene.html  Ambient temperature and physical activity did not significantly influence temperature sensor scores. These findings demonstrate that the temperature sensor provides accurate foot orthosis wear time data and may therefore be a useful tool for documenting adherence in clinical practice and intervention studies.Fracture toughness (Jc) of a soft biological tissue is an important mechanical property that characterizes its resistance to crack or tear extension. To date, no information is available on fracture toughness of annulus fibrosus (AF); therefore, its defect tolerance is not known. The present study modified a previously introduced method to determine Jc of ovine AF. Then, the effect of the notch length on the failure pattern and Jc was investigated. Also, the test samples of anterior and lateral regions were collected to determine the effect of the location on Jc. Results showed that for a notch length of less than 45% of total width, no crack extension occurred, but for a notch length above 45% of the width, crack propagation and ultimately the failure of the AF were observed. However, statistical analysis indicated no significant difference on Jc (p = 0.5) for the initial notch length of 50% and 70% of total width. The fracture toughness was significantly higher for the samples extracted from the lateral site than those from the anterior site (p less then 0.