Problems of optimization with application to prosthetic design and stress fracture prediction

Abstract

Examines the effects of geometry and material properties on criteria that could be used in establishing a notion of optimal form in bone or prosthetic devices. This is accomplished by determining extreme values of functionals that are measures of strain energy and compliance. The governing differential equation includes the effects of collageneous tissue acting on the bone and in the case of the prosthetic model, interfacial interactions between the device and the bone. Augmented Lagrange techniques and non-linear conjugate gradient methods are used to determine the optimal solution.<>