Anterior lumbar plate (ALP) systems have been widely used as an effective interbody fusion device for treating spinal cord compression. However, clinical complications, such as implant loosening and breakage, still occur. Past studies have investigated the effects of the screw orientation on the interfacial strength, but these studies were inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to identify an ALP system with excellent interfacial strength by varying the screw orientation. Three-dimensional finite element models of L4-L5 segments with an ALP system were first constructed. A neurogenetic algorithm, which combines artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms, was subsequently developed to discover the optimum plate design. Finally, biomechanical tests were conducted to validate the results of the finite element models and the engineering algorithm. The results indicated that the interfacial strength of the optimum plate design obtained using the neurogenetic algorithm was excellent compared with the other designs and that all of the locking screws should be inserted divergently. Both the numerical and experimental outcomes can provide clinical suggestions to surgeons and help them to understand the interfacial strength of ALP systems in terms of the screw orientation.
Designed for personal computers, 3D video games are powerful tools with respect to graphics rendering, real world physics simulation, human-computer interaction and multi-user communication. Because of these favorable features of 3D games, their adaption for serious applications has been widely researched recently. These applications generally focus on topics such as real world scenario reconstruction, which require no or only minor development efforts on the game engines themselves. Contrary to this, the development of virtual education and training environments requires the integration of complex engineering systems into games, which poses greater challenges and thus causes this topic to be covered less frequently. This article presents a framework for authoring virtual environments (VEs) for mechanical assembly training using a commercially available 3D game engine. The VE presented here allows multiple users to conduct simulations of assembly procedures in a collaborative manner and provides an immersive user experience with user-friendly human-computer interactions. In order to enable diverse types of assemblies, the VE uses feature-based representations of assemblies. CAD concepts such as form features, parts, kinematic joints and sub-assemblies are modified for implementation into the VE. This framework is explained through a sample assembly process of a planet gear train. The results of a study conducted in an undergraduate mechanical engineering laboratory are summarized briefly. From the study results, it can be concluded that this VE has the potential to become a valuable education and training tool for users, helping them to acquire mechanical assembly skills that can be applied to fields such as manufacturing, maintenance and repair.
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