A proposed methodology for setting the finite element models based on healthy human intervertebral lumbar discs

  1. Somovilla Gomez, F. 3
  2. Lostado Lorza, R. 3
  3. Fernandez Martinez, R. 2
  4. Corral Bobadilla, M. 3
  5. Escribano Garcia, R. 1
  1. 1 Leeds Beckett University
    info

    Leeds Beckett University

    Leeds, Reino Unido

    ROR https://ror.org/02xsh5r57

  2. 2 Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
    info

    Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

    Lejona, España

    ROR https://ror.org/000xsnr85

  3. 3 Universidad de La Rioja
    info

    Universidad de La Rioja

    Logroño, España

    ROR https://ror.org/0553yr311

Revue:
Lecture Notes in Computer Science

ISSN: 0302-9743

Année de publication: 2016

Volumen: 9648

Pages: 621-633

Type: Article

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-32034-2_52 SCOPUS: 2-s2.0-84964050262 WoS: WOS:000389499600052 GOOGLE SCHOLAR

D'autres publications dans: Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Résumé

The human intervertebral lumbar disc is a fibrocartilage structure that is located between the vertebrae of the spine. This structure consists of a nucleus pulposus, the annulus fibrosus and the cartilage endplate. The disc may be subjected to a complex combination of loads. The study of its mechanical properties and movement are used to evaluate the medical devices and implants. Some researchers have used the Finite Element Method (FEM) to model the disc and to study its biomechanics. Estimating the parameters to correctly define these models has the drawback that any small differences between the actual material and the simulation model based on FEM can be amplified enormously in the presence of nonlinearities. This paper sets out a fully automated method to determine the most appropriate material parameters to define the behavior of the human intervertebral lumbar disc models based on FEM. The methodology that is proposed is based on experimental data and the combined use of data mining techniques, Genetic Algorithms (GA) and the FEM. Firstly, based on standard tests (compression, axial rotation, shear, flexion, extension and lateral bending), three-dimensional parameterized Finite Element (FE) models were generated. Then, considering the parameters that define the proposed parameterized FE models, a Design of Experiment (DoE) was completed. For each of the standard tests, a regression technique based on Support Vector Machines (SVM) with different kernels was applied to model the stiffness and bulges of the intervertebral lumbar disc when the parameters of the FE models are changed. Finally, the best combination of parameters was achieved by applying evolutionary optimization techniques that are based on GA to the best, previously obtained regression models. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016.