Experimental and finite element analysis of tibial stress fractures using a rabbit model

AIM: To determine if rabbit models can be used to quantify the mechanical behaviour involved in tibial stress fracture(TSF) development.METHODS: Fresh rabbit tibiae were loaded under compression using a specifically-designed test apparatus. Weights were incrementally added up to a load of 30 kg and the mechanical behaviour of the tibia was analysed using tests for buckling, bone strain and hysteresis. Structural mechanics equations were subsequently employed to verify that the results were within the range of values predicted by theory. A finite element(FE) model was developed using cross-sectional computer tomography(CT) images scanned from one of the rabbit bones, and a static load of 6 kg(1.5 times the rabbit's body weight) was applied to represent running. The model was validated using the experimental strain gauge data, then geometric and elemental convergence tests were performed in order to find the minimum number of cross-sectional scans and elements respectively required for convergence. The analysis was then performed using both the model and the experimental results to investigate the mechanical behaviour of the rabbit tibia under compressive load and to examine crack initiation.RESULTS: The experimental tests showed that un der a compressive load of up to 12 kg, the rabbit tibia demonstrates linear behaviour with little hysteresis Up to 30 kg, the bone does not fail by elastic buckling however, there are low levels of tensile stress which predominately occur at and adjacent to the anterio border of the tibial midshaft: this suggests that fatigue failure occurs in these regions, since bone under cycli loading initially fails in tension. The FE model predic tions were consistent with both mechanics theory and the strain gauge results. The model was highly sensi tive to small changes in the position of the applied load due to the high slenderness ratio of the rabbit s tibia. The modelling technique used in the curren study could have applications in the development o human FE models of bone, where, unlike rabbit tibia the model would be relatively insensitive to very sma changes in load position. However, the rabbit mode itself is less beneficial as a tool to understand the me chanical behaviour of TSFs in humans due to the sma size of the rabbit bone and the limitations of human scale CT scanning equipment.CONCLUSION: The current modelling technique could be used to develop human FE models. However, the rabbit model itself has significant limitations in under standing human TSF mechanics.

Advanced production decline analysis of tight gas wells with variable fracture conductivity

Considering the characteristics that the fracture conductivity formed by hydraulic fracturing varies across space and time, a new mathematical model was established for seepage flow in tight gas fractured vertical wells which takes into account the effects of dual variable conductivity and stress sensitivity. The Blasingame advanced production decline curves of the model were obtained using the finite element method with hybrid elements. On this basis, the effects of fracture space and time dual variable conductivity and stress sensitivity on Blasingame curve were analyzed. The study shows that the space variable conductivity mainly reduces decline curve value at the early stage; the time variable conductivity can result in drops of the production and the production integral curves, leading to a S-shaped curve; dual variable conductivity is the superposition of the effects given by the two variable conductivities; both time and space variable conductivities cannot delay the time with which the formation fluid flow reaches the quasi-steady state. The stress sensitivity reduces the curve value gradually rather than sharply, delaying the time the flow reaching the quasi-steady state. Ignoring the effects of variable conductivity and stress sensitivity will not affect the estimation on well controlled dynamic reserves. However, it can result in large errors in the interpretation of fractures and reservoir parameters. Conventional advanced production decline analyses of a tight gas fractured well in the Sulige gas field showed that the new model is more effective and reliable than the conventional model, and thus it can be widely applied in advanced production decline analysis of wells with the same characteristics in other gas fields.

Prevention and management of fractured instruments in endodontic treatment

Intracanal instrument fracture is an unpredictable and problematic occurrence that can prevent adequatecleaning and shaping procedures and influence the prognosis of endodontic treatment. The prevalence of instrument fracture is reported to range between 0.28% and 16.2%. This article presents an overview of the prevention and management of instruments fractured during endodontic therapy on the basis of literature retrieved from Pub Med and selected journal searches. Instrument fracture occurs because of reduced metal fatigue and/or torsional resistance. The reasons include canal morphology and curvature, manufacturing processes and instrument design, instrument use times and technique, rotational speeds and operator experience. With the development of various equipment and techniques, most of the retained instrument separations can be removed safely. However, in canals without associated periapical disease not every fractured separation should be removed from difficult locations because of the increased risk for root perforation and fracture. In difficult cases, either retain or bypass the fragment in the root canal and ensure regular follow-up reviews. Fractured instruments retained in the presence of periapical disease reduce significantly the prognosis of endodontically treated teeth, indicating a greater need to attempt the removal or bypass of the file separations. Apical surgery might be required in some instances, emphasizing the importance of preventing instrument fracture.

Application of Comprehensive Geophysical Techniques to Predict Carbonate Fractured Reservoirs inQingxi Oilfield

Inter-crystalline pores, cavities, and fractures created from diagenetic shrinkage of dolomite are inter-connected each other, forming fine oil- and gas-bearing reservoirs. It is hard to predict these complex fracture-cavity reservoirs because of their random distribution, different growth timing, and so on. Taking the lacustrine dolomite fracture-pore reservoir in the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation in the Qingxi oilfield within the Jiuquan basin as an example, we put forward a comprehensive geophysical method to predict carbonate fractures.

Effects of different root canal preparation methods on root fracture resistance:A systematic review of the literature

AIM: To study the root fracture resistance after root canal preparation with Ni-Ti rotary instruments and stainless hand instruments by means of meta-analysis.METHODS: Literature was researched in CNKI and CBMDisc, Pub Med, CALIS, Proquest, Web of Scienceand 11 kinds of Chinese or English dentistry journals. Retrieval time on Internet was in all years and hand retrieval time was from January 2013 to October 2013. The literatures were selected through reading abstracts and full texts by two reviewers independently and Revman 5 software was used to analysize the literature. RESULTS: Six articles met the inclusion criteria. According to Meta-analysis of tooth root bending properties, total standardized mean difference(SMD) was 0.63(95%CI:-0.24-1.50, P > 0.05). That indicated there was no statistically significant between the two groups. Subgroup analysis was carried out. SMD were 2.22(95%CI: 0.23-4.20, P < 0.05) and-0.61(95%CI:-1.05--0.17, P < 0.05) when the premolar teeth with a single canal or the mesiobuccal roots of molars were used as the materials for tests to compare the effects of different root canal preparation methods on root fracture resistance. That only indicated that there were statistically significant in two subgroups.CONCLUSION: In vitro experiments, the effects on the fracture resistance of root had no statistical difference with Ni-Ti rotary instruments and stainless steel hand instruments in root canal preparation.

Implications for fault reactivation and seismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing

Evaluating the physical mechanisms that link hydraulic fracturing(HF) operations to induced earthquakes and the anticipated form of the resulting events is significant in informing subsurface fluid injection operations. Current understanding supports the overriding role of the effective stress magnitude in triggering earthquakes, while the impact of change rate of effective stress has not been systematically addressed. In this work, a modified critical stiffness was brought up to investigate the likelihood, impact,and mitigation of induced seismicity during and after hydraulic fracturing by developing a poroelastic model based on rate-and-state fraction law and linear stability analysis. In the new criterion, the change rate of effective stress was considered a key variable to explore the evolution of this criterion and hence the likelihood of instability slip of fault. A coupled fluid flow-deformation model was used to represent the entire hydraulic fracturing process in COMSOL Multiphysics. The possibility of triggering an earthquake throughout the entire hydraulic fracturing process, from fracturing to cessation, was investigated considering different fault locations, orientations, and positions along the fault. The competition between the effects of the magnitude and change rate of effective stress was notable at each fracturing stage. The effective stress magnitude is a significant controlling factor during fracturing events, with the change rate dominating when fracturing is suddenly started or stopped. Instability dominates when the magnitude of the effective stress increases(constant injection at each fracturing stage) and the change rate of effective stress decreases(the injection process is suddenly stopped). Fracturing with a high injection rate, a fault adjacent to the hydraulic fracturing location and the position of the junction between the reservoir and fault are important to reduce the Coulomb failure stress(CFS) and enhance the critical stiffness as the significant disturbance of stresses at these positions in the coupled process. Therefore,notable attention should be given to the injection rate during fracturing, fault position, and position along faults as important considerations to help reduce the potential for induced seismicity. Our model was verified and confirmed using the case of the Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China, in which the reported microseismic data were correlated with high critical stiffness values. This work supplies new thoughts of the seismic risk associated with HF engineering.

Effect of specimen thickness on Mode Ⅱ fracture toughness of rock

Anti symmetric four point bending specimens with different thickness, without and with guiding grooves, were used to conduct Mode Ⅱ fracture test and study the effect of specimen thickness on Mode Ⅱ fracture toughness of rock. Numerical calculations show that the occurrence of Mode Ⅱ fracture in the specimens without guiding grooves (when the inner and outer loading points are moved close to the notch plane) and with guiding grooves is attributed to a favorable stress condition created for Mode Ⅱ fracture, i.e. tensile stress at the notch tip is depressed to be lower than the tensile strength or to be compressive stress, and the ratio of shear stress to tensile stress at notch tip is very high. The measured value of Mode Ⅱ fracture toughness K ⅡC decreases with the increase of the specimen thickness or the net thickness of specimen. This is because a thick specimen promotes a plane strain state and thus results in a relatively small fracture toughness.

Propagation and aperture of staged hydraulic fractures in unconventional resources in toughness-dominated regimes

Simultaneous multistage hydraulic fracturing of unconventional gas shale in parallel multilateral wells is an effective technique to raise the connectivity of the reservoir to the wellbore and improve reservoir permeability for an economical production. However, this technique should be accompanied with some optimization procedures to obtain an efficiently fractured reservoir with the highest production and the lowest cost. In unconventional hydraulic fracturing, fracture deviation/collapse and trapping are familiar phenomena which occur when a non-optimized fracturing pattern is used. These problems occur respectively when stress shadow size has not been considered in optimization and fracturing pressure is higher than the available pressure in the sealed section. Therefore, in an optimized hydraulic fracturing,having straight fractures with no deviation or collapse needs consideration of stress shadow effect(SSE).Apart from that, having efficiently propagated fractures to the extent of the reservoir without any fracture trap requires consideration of stress intensity factor(SIF) and aperture. SSE was studied and published by the authors in 2014. For the case of SIF, investigating any change in mode I SIF and aperture with different influencing variables such as fracture geometry and pattern are studied in the current research work. Three different fracturing techniques are assumed as multistage fracturing, simultaneous single-stage fracturing, and simultaneous multistage fracturing techniques. Since obtaining SIF for threedimensional fractures is a challenging issue, a stress ratio technique is used for calculation of SIF ratios of different fracturing scenarios compared to the case of a single fracture. Therefore, changes of SIF for different fracturing schemes are estimated and analyzed to understand whether or not a fracturing scheme is efficient and all the spaced perforations are activated and change to hydraulic fractures.

Fracture Toughness of Glass-Carbon (0/90)_sFiber Reinforced Polymer Composite – An Experimental and Numerical Study

Mode-I fracture behavior of glass-carbon fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composite was investigated based on experimental and finite element analysis. The compact tension (CT) specimen was employed to conduct mode-I fracture test using special loading fixtures as per ASTM standards. Fracture toughness was determined experimentally for along and across the fiber orientation of the specimen. Results indicated that the cracked specimens are tougher along the fiber orientations as compared with across the fiber orientations. A similar fracture test was simulated using finite element analysis software ANSYS. Critical stress intensity factor (K) was calculated at fracture/failure using displacement extrapolation method, for both along and across the fiber orientations. The fractured surfaces of the glasscarbon epoxy composite under mode-I loading condition was examined by electron microscope.

ON J-INTEGRALS IN THE PLANE FRACTURE

In this paper, we discuss J-integrals near models I and II crack tips for the plates of linear-elastic isotropic homogeneous material and orthotropic composite material, using the theories of complex function and calculus, and obtain the result as follows: (1) The various J-integrals are transformed into standard form of line integrals with respect to coordinates: J = ∫rP(x, y)dx+Q(x, y)dy. (2) Independence of path of the various J-integrals is proved. (3) Computing formulae of J-integrals are derived.

Effect of loading point position on fracture mode of rock

Anti symmetric four point bending specimen with different loading point positions was used to study effect of loading point position on fracture mode of rock in order to explore a feasible method for achieving Mode Ⅱ fracture and determining Mode Ⅱ fracture toughness of rock, K ⅡC . Numerical and experimental results show that the distance between the inner and outer loading points, L 1+ L 2, has a great influence on stresses at notch tip and fracture mode. When L 1+ L 2>0.5 L or 0.1 L < L 1+ L 2<0.5 L , maximum principal stress σ 1 exceeds the tensile strength σ t. The ratio of τ max / σ 1 is relatively low or high and thus Mode Ⅰ or mixed mode fracture occurs. When L 1+ L 2< 0.1 L , σ 1 is smaller than σ t and the ratio of τ max / σ 1 is much higher, which facilitates the occurrence of Mode Ⅱ fracture.

A new method to calculate the productivity index for vertical fractured well of tight gas reservoir

Generally the irreducible water saturation of low permeability gas reservoir is quite high which leads to the permeability stress sensibility and threshold pressure gradient. Under the assumption that permeability varies with experimental law of the pseudo pressure drop, according to concepts of perturbable ellipses and equivalent developing regulations, the calculation method of stable production of hydraulically fractured gas well in low permeability reservoirs is investigated with threshold pressure. And productivity curve is drawn and analyzed. The result shows that, permeability modulus and threshold pressure have effect on production of fractured gas well. The higher the permeability modulus and the threshold pressure, the lower the production is. Therefore, the impact of stress sensitive and threshold pressure must he considered when analyzing the productivity of vertical fracture well in low permeability gas reservoir.

Effect of icosahedral phase formation on the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)behaviors of the as-cast Mg-8%Li(in wt.%)based alloys

Through exploring the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)behaviors of the as-cast Mg-8%Li and Mg-8%Li-6%Zn-1.2%Y alloys in a 0.1 M NaCl solution,it revealed that the SCC susceptibility index(I_(SCC))of the Mg-8%Li alloy was 47%,whilst the I_(SCC)of the Mg-8%Li-6%Zn-1.2%Y alloy was 68%.Surface,cross-sectional and fractography observations indicated that for the Mg-8%Li alloy,theα-Mg/β-Li interfaces acted as the preferential crack initiation sites and propagation paths during the SCC process.With regard to the Mg-8%Li-6%Zn-1.2%Y alloy,the crack initiation sites included the I-phase and the interfaces of I-phase/β-Li andα-Mg/β-Li,and the preferential propagation paths were the I-phase/β-Li andα-Mg/β-Li interfaces.Moreover,the SCC of the two alloys was concerned with hydrogen embrittlement(HE)mechanism.

High-Precision Flow Numerical Simulation and Productivity Evaluation of Shale Oil Considering Stress Sensitivity

Continental shale oil reservoirs,characterized by numerous bedding planes and micro-nano scale pores,feature significantly higher stress sensitivity compared to other types of reservoirs.However,research on suitable stress sensitivity characterization models is still limited.In this study,three commonly used stress sensitivity models for shale oil reservoirs were considered,and experiments on representative core samples were conducted.By fitting and comparing the data,the“exponential model”was identified as a characterization model that accurately represents stress sensitivity in continental shale oil reservoirs.To validate the accuracy of the model,a two-phase seepage mathematical model for shale oil reservoirs coupled with the exponential model was introduced.The model was discretely solved using the finite volume method,and its accuracy was verified through the commercial simulator CMG.The study evaluated the productivity of a typical horizontal well under different engineering,geological,and fracture conditions.The results indicate that considering stress sensitivity leads to a 13.57%reduction in production for the same matrix permeability.Additionally,as the fracture half-length and the number of fractures increase,and the bottomhole flowing pressure decreases,the reservoir stress sensitivity becomes higher.

Stress analysis of three-dimensional finite element model of malunion calcaneus during gait

Objective: To analyze the stress distribution of calcaneus with posterior articular facet compressed after fracture and talus during gait. Methods: A wedge under the posterior articular was transected from a normal finite element model of calcaneus and talus to simulate malformation of compression of the posterior facet after fracture of calcaneus. The model was used to simulate for three subphases of the stance during the gait(heel strike, midstance, push off) and calculate the finite element. The results were compared with normal situation. Results: The stress distribution within the bone in situation of malformation was obtained and regions of elevated stresses for three subphases were located. The results were significantly different from that of normal situation. Conclusion: The simulation of calcaneus and talus in malformation has important clinic implication and can provide an insight into the factors contributing to many clinic pathogenic changes after fracture of calcaneus.

Effects of Curved Periacetabular Osteotomy on the Stress Fields of the Pubic Rami and Ischium: A Finite Element Model Analysis

Background: Postoperative pubic or ischial stress fracture may be a complication after curved periacetabular osteotomy (CPO). The discontinuity of the superior pubic rami is a risk factor for this complication. We investigated the stress field differences in standing and sitting positions after CPO. Methods: We used finite element analysis to assess the effects of inferior pubic rami and ischial fractures with or without discontinuity of superior pubic rami. We used the “union model”, obtained from a bony union at the osteotomy site of the superior pubic rami from 38-year-old woman who had undergone CPO for left hip dysplasia. We deleted the bony union region and created a discontinuity in the superior pubic rami equal to the non-union, creating the “discontinuity model”. We compared the stress field and stress value in the simulated standing and half weight-bearing positions on the operative side, one-legged standing position on the non-operative side, and the sitting position. Findings: In 4 cases, the inferior rami experienced the highest stress. Stress values in the discontinuity model were higher than those in the union model: 1.7 times in the case of one-legged standing on the operative side, 2.4 times in the case of half weight-bearing on the operative side, 3.8 times in the case of one-legged standing on the non-operative side, and 2.0 times in the sitting position, respectively. Interpretation: We recommend patients delay weight bearing on the operative side, avoid the sitting position as long as possible, and sit down slowly to prevent inferior pubic rami and ischial fractures after CPO.

一种考虑裂缝扩展路径的混凝土细观数值模拟方法

文章提出一种能够考虑混凝土裂缝扩展过程中绕过骨料或穿过骨料发展的细观数值模拟方法。首先,回顾了用于类混凝土材料I-型断裂分析的自洽有限应力模型的基本原理;进而,采用有限元分析方法,从局部能量等效和宏观力学等效两个维度验证了基于自洽有限应力原理建模和常规建模之间的等效性;最终,发展了基于自洽有限应力原理和细观裂缝扩展路径准则的数值模拟方法,在细观尺度上实现模拟混凝土裂缝绕过骨料发展和穿过骨料发展等细观断裂破坏行为。文章研究成果可为后续发展基于细观尺度断裂破坏准则的高效数值分析方法奠定基础。

新型液阻式泵阀冲击特性研究

为了降低阀芯与阀座冲击应力减小二者间冲击磨损,提出一种液阻式新型泵阀。采用数值仿真方法对泵阀液阻结构参数进行了优化,并仿真计算了阀芯与阀座的冲击速度和泵阀碰撞冲击的压力接触情况。对比分析了液阻泵阀和传统泵阀的运动特征及冲击应力结果,并搭建试验台架对仿真模型结果进行验证。结果表明,在阀芯下落阶段,带液阻结构的泵阀的回落速度明显小于传统泵阀,传统泵阀阀芯与阀座相接触的速度达到了0.118 m/s,而带液阻结构泵阀的阀芯与阀座相接触的速度仅为传统泵阀的1/6左右,约为0.02 m/s;带液阻结构的泵阀只发生了1次碰撞,而传统泵阀发生了2次碰撞,在碰撞时,带液阻结构的泵阀阀芯与阀座上的最大接触应力约为260 MPa,而传统泵阀第1次碰撞为190 MPa,第2次为270 MPa;液阻式泵阀能明显降低阀芯与阀座相接触的速度,降低冲击应力,从而减小泵阀的冲击磨损。研究结果可为液阻式泵阀的设计和应用提供参考。

有限元法分析不同固定方式在胫骨远端粉碎性骨折骨愈合中的生物力学差异

背景:胫骨远端粉碎性骨折伴软组织损伤的治疗具有挑战性,新型逆行胫骨髓内钉、外置接骨板是重要的治疗手段,但其在骨折愈合不同时期、不同负重情况时的骨折端应变、应力遮挡情况未见报道。目的:通过有限元分析法探讨骨折愈合不同时期逆行髓内钉及外置接骨板的生物力学差异,为临床应用及康复锻炼提供科学参考。方法:利用1名40岁健康男性的胫骨CT数据,建立胫骨远端粉碎骨折的有限元模型,构建胫骨逆行髓内钉、外置接骨板固定模型及骨痂模型并根据骨折的固定原则进行装配。使用ANSYS软件进行有限元分析,比较骨折愈合不同时期时逆行髓内钉及外置接骨板2种固定方式的骨折端位移、胫骨应力遮挡、骨痂应力、胫骨及固定装置应力分布情况。结果与结论:①胫骨骨折端相对位移随着骨折愈合的进行逐渐减小,在术后3个月后位移明显减少;术后0,1个月,外置接骨板组的垂直位移及总位移均大于逆行髓内钉组,2种固定方式的Z轴位移(水平内外侧位移)均较X、Y轴位移明显,且接骨板模型的Z轴位移差异最明显;2种固定方式的Z轴位移最大位置均位于胫骨外侧,位移最小位置均位于胫骨内侧;②骨折愈合的应力遮挡率随骨折时间延长而逐渐降低;逆行髓内钉的应力遮挡率在骨折愈合不同时期均高于外置接骨板;术后3个月后外置接骨板的应力遮挡率降低到4%左右,逆行髓内钉的应力遮挡率降低到40%左右;③2种固定方式骨痂应力集中部位的应力随着载荷的增大而增加,外置接骨板组骨痂的应力始终大于逆行髓内钉组;2种固定方式中,骨痂最大应力大致分布一致,均位于胫骨外侧部分;④随着骨折愈合2种固定方式的胫骨最大应力逐渐降低,外置接骨板组的应力始终大于逆行髓内钉组;1500 N载荷下外置接骨板组胫骨最大应力区域平均应力为285 MPa,而逆行髓内钉组为26 MPa;⑤随着骨折愈合2种固定模型中固定装置的应力逐渐降低,外置接骨板组的应力均明显高于逆行髓内钉组;术后3个月以后,2种固定装置的应力下降幅度明显变缓;⑥提示在骨折愈合早期,胫骨逆行髓内钉组中骨折端应变小、胫骨最大应力适中,允许早期负重;外置接骨板组骨折端存在应变过大、胫骨最大应力过大,需在保护下部分负重、不能完全负重;在骨折愈合中后期,胫骨逆行髓内钉及外置接骨板组均可完全负重,接骨板的应力遮挡率明显低于胫骨逆行髓内钉。

有限元法在脊柱胸腰段骨折生物力学分析中的应用及发展方向

背景:脊柱骨折最高发部位是胸腰段,其症状为后背部疼痛、后凸畸形、活动受限,或伴脊髓神经损伤引发下肢疼痛、麻木甚至截瘫等并发症。有限元法是一种数字化的计算机建模技术,能真实模拟实物模型并进行受力分析。目的:综述有限元法在脊柱胸腰段骨折中的应用。方法:在中英文文献数据库PubMed、Web of Science、中国知网中检索2024年3月之前发表的有限元分析法在脊柱胸腰段骨折中应用的相关文献,中英文检索词为“有限元分析法(finite element analysis methods)”“生物力学(biomechanical phenomena)”“应力分析(stress analysis)”“胸腰椎骨折(thoracolumbar fractures)”“脊柱骨折(spinal fractures)”,最终纳入55篇文献。结果与结论:①通过有限元法对不同病因(骨质疏松性、创伤性、病理性)导致的胸腰椎骨折进行探索,有利于对各种类型胸腰椎骨折的生物力学特征有更加深刻的认识,完善对胸腰椎骨折的个性化和精细化治疗;②单一样本或数量较少样本的有限元分析具有偶然性,未来的有限元分析需要更大的样本数量来减少样本偶然性带来的误差;③仅骨骼的刚性结构不能满足实物的完整性所具有的生物力学工况,未来的有限元模型需要尽可能纳入实物的所有结构(例如肌肉、韧带等软组织);④有限元法在骨质疏松性和创伤性胸腰椎骨折方面的研究较多,未来需要进行更加深入的研究;病理性胸腰椎骨折领域的研究较少,未来研究范围较广。