What is Finite Element Analysis?
Finite element analysis (FEA) is a 3D computer-assisted engineering method, originally developed by the aerospace industry, that can be used to simulate the behavior of geometrically complex objects under external load. Within the biomedical field, FEA is commonly applied to the study of stiffness and strength in bony structures, such as femoral deformation during walking and running, cranial impact fracture mechanics, and craniofacial stress and strain during simulations of feeding. FEA has also become an important tool employed in testing the efficacy of craniofacial, knee, and hip implant design in clinical settings. In recent years, evolutionary questions that relate to biomechanics and adaptation in numerous extinct and extant animal groups have been addressed using FEA.
FEA simplifies structural problems that are difficult or otherwise computationally impossible to solve through the discretization of geometrically complex objects into a large number of simple objects (elements). These elements, joined at their corners (nodes) to form a contiguous "mesh", often take the form of tetrahedra and can be assigned a range of material properties. Simulations of loading involve the application of external forces and the restraint of specific nodes. Reaction forces at node constraints and strain magnitudes throughout the mesh, which are key metrics in determining mechanical performance, can then be collected from the solved finite element model (FEM). |
The construction of a finite element model (FEM) of a chimp cranium from computed-tomography (CT) data and results of a premolar biting analysis.
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