Kupczik K, Dobson C A, Fagan M J, Crompton R H, Oxnard C E, O'Higgins P
Hull York Medical School, The University of York, UK.
J Anat. 2007 Jan;210(1):41-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00662.x.
Crucial to the interpretation of the results of any finite element analysis of a skeletal system is a test of the validity of the results and an assessment of the sensitivity of the model parameters. We have therefore developed finite element models of two crania of Macaca fascicularis and investigated their sensitivity to variations in bone material properties, the zygomatico-temporal suture and the loading regimen applied to the zygomatic arch. Maximum principal strains were validated against data derived from ex vivo strain gauge experiments using non-physiological loads applied to the macaque zygomatic arch. Elastic properties of the zygomatic arch bone and the zygomatico-temporal suture obtained by nanoindentation resulted in a high degree of congruence between experimental and simulated strains. The findings also indicated that the presence of a zygomatico-temporal suture in the model produced strains more similar to experimental values than a completely separated or fused arch. Strains were distinctly higher when the load was applied through the modelled superficial masseter compared with loading an array of nodes on the arch. This study demonstrates the importance of the accurate selection of the material properties involved in predicting strains in a finite element model. Furthermore, our findings strongly highlight the influence of the presence of craniofacial sutures on strains experienced in the face. This has implications when investigating craniofacial growth and masticatory function but should generally be taken into account in functional analyses of the craniofacial system of both extant and extinct species.
对骨骼系统的任何有限元分析结果进行解释的关键在于对结果有效性的检验以及对模型参数敏感性的评估。因此，我们建立了食蟹猕猴两个颅骨的有限元模型，并研究了它们对骨材料属性变化、颧颞缝以及施加于颧弓的加载方式的敏感性。利用施加于猕猴颧弓的非生理载荷，将最大主应变与来自体外应变片实验的数据进行了验证。通过纳米压痕获得的颧弓骨和颧颞缝的弹性属性，使得实验应变与模拟应变高度一致。研究结果还表明，模型中存在颧颞缝时产生的应变比完全分离或融合的颧弓更接近实验值。与在颧弓上加载一系列节点相比，当通过模拟的浅层咬肌施加载荷时，应变明显更高。本研究证明了在有限元模型中准确选择预测应变所涉及的材料属性的重要性。此外，我们的研究结果强烈凸显了颅面缝的存在对面部所经历应变的影响。这在研究颅面生长和咀嚼功能时具有重要意义，但在对现存和已灭绝物种的颅面系统进行功能分析时通常都应予以考虑。
