This talk will outline the past and current finite element work performed within the Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (IMBE), starting with the more traditional use of the method and moving towards recent physiologically accurate and patient-specific work.
The computational work within the IMBE is concentrated in the two main subject areas of the hip and the spine. Finite element models of the hip and of hip replacement devices are well developed and now form part of larger computational systems predicting lubrication mode and wear.
Finite element work in the spine is a younger subject area for the IMBE. However, significant steps have been taken towards patient-specific modelling, where medical images are processed to produce computational models with realistic bone architecture and inhomogeneous material properties.
Since many models and techniques will be covered in this talk, it will remain lightweight and top-level throughout, and therefore will be like a day in the park for a group so accustomed to hard sums. Hopefully at least one of the applications or methods will be of interest and lead to further discussion.