Elena Redaelli, Letizia Maria Perri, Begoña Calvo, Jorge Grasa, Giulia Luraghi
{"title":"Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Procedure in the Human Eye. A Fluid Structure Interaction Study","authors":"Elena Redaelli, Letizia Maria Perri, Begoña Calvo, Jorge Grasa, Giulia Luraghi","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Aqueous humor is a clear fluid pressurized at an intraocular pressure (IOP) within a range of 8–20 mmHg in healthy conditions that fills and shapes the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye. It is typically drained through the trabecular meshwork, but reduced permeability of this structure can lead to impaired drainage, elevated IOP, and the development of glaucoma. Minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS) offer a treatment option by implanting micro stents to create alternative pathways for aqueous humor drainage. Despite their potential, limited research has explored the biomechanical changes in ocular tissues and the hydrodynamic interactions following MIGS implantation. This paper aims to study the aqueous humor flow after the surgery by means of computational simulations. For the first time, the implantation process has been simulated to assess residual stresses on ocular structures post-implantation. Then, this study introduces a Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI) simulation to model the aqueous humor dynamics after MIGS implantation. The results demonstrate the necessity of FSI simulations, as they reveal the interplay between the eye's biomechanical properties and the aqueous humor dynamics. The advantage of using an FSI simulation is its ability to capture the aqueous humor dynamics, providing a more realistic representation compared to the Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations found in the literature. Using only CFD, the outflow velocity of the aqueous humor through the stent is approximately 1e−4 m/s, whereas with an FSI approach, the velocity reaches up to 0.8 m/s as the deformation of the ocular tissues has a substantial impact on the flow dynamics and cannot be neglected. This novel methodology can be potentially used for visualizing and quantifying the aqueous humor flow as a function of implant design, position and dimensions in order to design next-generation MIGS devices and optimize implantation strategies, offering significant advancements in glaucoma treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cnm.70062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing Imaging Performance and Resolution in Magneto-Acoustic Electrical Tomography With Magnetic Field Measurements (MAET-MI) Using Figure-of-Eight and High-Quality Factor Circular Coils","authors":"Ahmet Önder Tetik, Nevzat Güneri Gençer","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Magneto-acousto-electrical tomography with magnetic field measurement technique (MAET-MI) is a hybrid imaging method that brings high spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging in electrical impedance tomography. This study investigates the impact of the quality factor of circular and figure-of-eight coils on the imaging performance of MAET-MI. Induced MAET signals on the circular coil are accurately obtained by modeling a circuit representation of an air-cored circular coil and deriving its transfer function through impedance measurements. The study demonstrates a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using high-quality factor coils compared to unity quality factor coils. Additionally, a 16-element linear phased array (LPA) ultrasound transducer, an air core circular coil, and a figure-of-eight coil are numerically modeled to obtain sector scan images of two-dimensional conductivity distributions. Point spread function (PSF) is characterized, and the lateral resolution of sector scan conductivity images is enhanced through two-dimensional deconvolution with PSF. The combined use of circular and figure-of-eight coils provides comprehensive imaging coverage. Notably, this research presents a practical method for estimating both circular and figure-of-eight coils' transfer functions, achieving 12.9 dB SNR improvement with high-quality factor coils. A simplified breast model is rotated 16 steps, and sector scan conductive boundary images are reconstructed for both coils. A two-dimensional image of a breast model is obtained by combining images from two different coils. These findings offer significant advancements in MAET-MI imaging, particularly in low SNR environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cnm.70063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144581977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biomechanical Impact of Recurrent Childbirth on the Female Pelvic Floor","authors":"Diana Fonseca, Dulce Oliveira, Rita Moura, Catarina Rocha, Marco Parente, Renato Natal","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Every year, millions of childbirths occur globally, yet the rate of maternal morbidity and mortality remains unacceptably high. This study investigates the biomechanical impact of multiple vaginal deliveries on pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), a key contributor to maternal morbidity. While the effects of first childbirth on pelvic floor injuries have been widely studied, less is known about the impact of subsequent deliveries. Epidemiological data show that the risk of PFD increases with the number of births, making it crucial to understand how later deliveries exacerbate damage. Using a finite element model, this research simulates the biomechanical effects of first and second vaginal delivery. The model incorporates pelvic floor muscles and a fetal head, considering factors such as muscle recovery and fetal head size. Simulations were run for both first and second deliveries, with varying recovery rates of muscle damage and fetal head sizes (50th and 5th percentiles). Results indicate that muscle damage is most severe at the pubovisceral muscle's origin, which is consistent with previous studies. In second-birth simulations, more muscle damage was observed, particularly when no recovery occurred. Smaller fetal head sizes led to less muscle stretch and accumulated damage. The study supports existing literature linking subsequent childbirths to a higher risk of PFD and highlights the importance of muscle recovery in mitigating damage. It also provides valuable insights into the biomechanics of childbirth, offering a step forward in improving understanding of pelvic floor injuries.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Improved Mechanical Support Parametrization to Predict the Renal Ostia Displacement Induced by Tools Insertion in EVAR","authors":"Hussein Mozahem, Mathilde Chastre, Florent Lalys, Simon Esneault, Adrien Kaladji, Aline Bel-Brunon","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To improve the prediction of renal ostia displacement in biomechanical finite element simulations of the vascular structure deformation during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). An existing finite element model to compute the deformation of the vascular structure due to tools insertion during EVAR, previously validated against clinical data in terms of guidewire position, is confronted in terms of renal ostia displacement to clinical intraoperative data from 16 patients undergoing EVAR and experiencing significant ostia displacement during the procedure (average vertical displacement of 10.38 mm from the preoperative to intraoperative configurations). This yields an update of the mechanical support parametrization. A score quantifies the predictive performance of the existing and updated parametrizations for both the renal displacement and the iliac arteries deformation. The updated model demonstrates a significant improvement in predictive accuracy for renal ostia deviation during EVAR. The axial mean displacement error is improved from 7.41 mm (previous parametrization) to 2.99 mm (updated parametrization). The score shows that this new parametrization improves the predictive performance of the simulation for the renal ostia displacement without compromising the iliac deformations prediction. The updated parametrization significantly enhances the predictive capability for arterial deformations during EVAR. A better prediction of the renal ostia displacement can significantly improve surgical planning and intraoperative guidance.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144582208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. A. Mansilla Alvarez, G. D. Maso Talou, R. A. Feijóo, P. J. Blanco
{"title":"A 3D Patient-Specific Model of Cerebral Blood Flow: Influence of Arterial Compliance and Circle of Willis Configuration","authors":"L. A. Mansilla Alvarez, G. D. Maso Talou, R. A. Feijóo, P. J. Blanco","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted an in silico study of blood flow in the brain using two different computational models: fluid–structure interaction (FSI) and conventional rigid wall (CFD). These models were applied to a patient-specific vascular network derived from MRI data. We used a mid-fidelity numerical approach called Transversally Enriched Pipe Element Method (TEPEM) to solve the governing equations. In the FSI model, we coupled the TEPEM strategy with an independent-ring model to account for arterial wall compliance. We compared the FSI and CFD models to understand how arterial wall distensibility affects pressure, flow, and the spatial distribution of flow-related properties. Additionally, we introduced three synthetic anatomical variations in the Circle of Willis to extend the comparison of the FSI and CFD models to these scenarios. Our results suggest that vessel compliance introduces discrepancies up to <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mn>2</mn>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation>$$ 2 $$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math> mmHg in distal cerebral regions and up to <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mn>15</mn>\u0000 <mo>%</mo>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation>$$ 15% $$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math> in the Wall Shear Stress. Regarding the anatomical variations on the Circle of Willis, the incomplete configuration introduces discrepancies in derived-flow quantities as the Time-Averaged Wall Shear Stress and the Relative Retention Time up to <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mn>20</mn>\u0000 <mo>%</mo>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation>$$ 20% $$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math>.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144582345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inverse Problem Regularization for 3D Multi-Species Tumor Growth Models","authors":"Ali Ghafouri, George Biros","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70057","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We present a multi-species partial differential equation (PDE) model for tumor growth and an algorithm for calibrating the model from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The model is designed for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) a fast-growing type of brain cancer. The modeled species correspond to proliferative, infiltrative, and necrotic tumor cells. The model calibration is formulated as an inverse problem and solved by a PDE-constrained optimization method. The data that drives the calibration is derived by a single multi-parametric MRI image. This is a typical clinical scenario for GBMs. The unknown parameters that need to be calibrated from data include 10 scalar parameters and the infinite dimensional initial condition (IC) for proliferative tumor cells. This inverse problem is highly ill-posed as we try to calibrate a nonlinear dynamical system from data taken at a single time. To address this ill-posedness, we split the inversion into two stages. First, we regularize the IC reconstruction by solving a single-species compressed sensing problem. Then, using the IC reconstruction, we invert for model parameters using a weighted regularization term. We construct the regularization term by using auxiliary 1D inverse problems. We apply our proposed scheme to clinical data. We compare our algorithm with single-species reconstruction and unregularized reconstructions. Our scheme enables the stable estimation of non-observable species and quantification of infiltrative tumor cells. Our regularization improves the tumor Dice score by 5%–10% compared to single-species model reconstruction. Also, our regularization reduces model parameter reconstruction errors by 4%–80% in cases with known initial condition and brain anatomy compared to cases without regularization. Importantly, our model can estimate infiltrative tumor cells using observable tumor species.</p>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cnm.70057","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144582346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction to “Machine Learning-Based Rapid Prediction of Torsional Performance of Personalized Peripheral Artery Stent”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70069","url":null,"abstract":"<p>https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70029.</p><p>The Affiliation 1 “Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China” was incorrect. This should have read: “School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China”.</p><p>We apologize for this error.</p>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cnm.70069","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Crack Extension Analysis and Parameter Optimization in Robot-Assisted Cracked Tooth Preparation Process: Finite Element Analysis and Experiment","authors":"Jingang Jiang, Biao Ma, Jianpeng Sun, Yongde Zhang, Jie Pan, Shan Zhou","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Existing robot-assisted cracked tooth preparation systems often result in crack extension or even tooth fracture due to inappropriate parameter settings. In order to solve this problem, a thermal–mechanical coupling model was developed to optimize the grinding parameters for a cracked tooth preparation robot. The grinding force model, based on an empirical formula, was established and analyzed. Using this model, the grinding temperature field of the tooth surface under a moving heat source was also determined. The optimal feed speed and rotational speed of the bur were identified through analysis. After verifying the model's accuracy through experiments, the stress intensity factor at the crack tips for various preparation parameters was calculated using the established thermal–mechanical coupling model, enabling the determination of a safe parameter range. Robot-assisted tooth preparation experiments were conducted based on the optimized preparation parameters, which resulted in a 19.32% reduction in normal grinding force and a 56.26% reduction in surface grinding temperature, and consequently a reduction in pulpal thermal damage compared to conventional preparation parameters. Crack extension following tooth preparation was observed by Micro-CT scanning, and the success rate of preventing crack extension was 73.33%, 93.33%, and 86.67% in xoz, yoz, and xoy sections.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing the Influence of Screw Orientation on Fracture Fixation of the Proximal Humerus Using Finite Element Informed Surrogate Modeling","authors":"Daniela Mini, Karen J. Reynolds, Mark Taylor","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The management of proximal humeral fractures is challenging, and fixation plates often show a high failure rate. However, new fixation plates with variable angle screws could be beneficial. Finite element (FE) studies have shown some benefits of plates with variable angle screws, but not all possible combinations have been explored, and hence worst and optimal scenarios have not been identified. The full exploration of the solution space is not possible using FE techniques due to the computational expense; therefore, a more computationally affordable technique is needed. This study aimed to develop adaptive neural network (ANN) models that can predict the likelihood of a screw collision and the level of strain on the humeral bone when the orientation of the screws is changed. ANN models were trained using input and output data from FE simulations with varying screw angles, developed on a single subject with a two-part fracture in the proximal humerus. Training sets of different sizes were developed to determine the quantity of data required for an accurate model. Firstly, the ANNs were used to make predictions of results from FE unseen data, showing an 84.4% accuracy for the prediction of screw collision and good correlation (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.99) and low levels of error (RMSE = 0.65%–5.49% strain) for the prediction of bone strain. The ANNs were used to make predictions of a full factorial scenario, showing that the variation of the orientation of the screw in the calcar region has the greatest impact on the bone strain around all screws.</p>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cnm.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144550882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amirreza Sadighi, Mehrangiz Taheri, Nolan Black, Moein Taghvaei, Madeline Boyes, Delaney Oeth, Sorin Siegler, Thomas P. Schaer, Ahmad R. Najafi
{"title":"Numerical Investigation Into Bone Remodeling Around Different Co-Polymeric Swelling Bone Anchors","authors":"Amirreza Sadighi, Mehrangiz Taheri, Nolan Black, Moein Taghvaei, Madeline Boyes, Delaney Oeth, Sorin Siegler, Thomas P. Schaer, Ahmad R. Najafi","doi":"10.1002/cnm.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this study, a hygro-elastic finite element framework, along with a strain-energy-density based bone remodeling framework, was developed and used to simulate the swelling of co-polymeric bone anchors to investigate their hygro-mechanical response. To validate the numerical results, free swelling and in vivo experiments were conducted as well. The free swelling experiments were conducted on co-polymeric porous bone anchors (composed of cross-linked poly [methyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid]) with two ratios of 80/20 and 90/10 to investigate their swelling characteristics in bovine serum, mimicking in vivo conditions. Subsequently, the swelling of bone anchors was simulated embedded in bone regions with different densities. The radial stresses induced in the interface were extracted to examine the mechanical response of the surrounding bone. According to Wolff's law, such mechanical loads can be regarded by bone mechanotransducers as stimuli for remodeling. The bone remodeling framework evaluated the impact of the radial force induced by the swelling of the bone anchor on the surrounding bone. The radial stress induced by the controlled swelling ratio of 90/10 composition resulted in favorable bone densification in the region of interest (approximately between 17.5% and 54% depending on the density of the region). However, the excessive swelling of 80/20 composition caused radial stresses to go beyond the threshold of 31 MPa, causing overload resorption in the interface (especially in high-density regions, where there was total resorption in the interface) and jeopardizing the success of the bone anchor and osteointegration. It was discovered that the swelling ratio plays an important role in bone remodeling, and that it must be controlled within a certain threshold to ensure bone densification and prevent overload resorption. The results of the in vivo sheep study also confirmed these findings.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50349,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering","volume":"41 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144339315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}