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< Vol. 12 Issue 1 | Jan-Apr 2014 | pp. 1 - 63

The effect of material modeling on finite element analysis of human breast biomechanics

Abstract

Purpose: Finite element analysis has been used extensively in the study of biomechanical modeling of the breast. However, issues regarding the complexity of material models and the influences of geometric boundary conditions on the accuracy of a breast Finite Element (FE) model are still under debate. This work demonstrates the importance of material modeling in FE models of the breast. Methods: A simple hemispherical geometry is used to model the shape of a human breast. Different material models are being investigated to accurately model changes in terms of displacement, stress, and reaction forces distribution. Results: The results obtained using nonlinear material models are compared with those obtained employing their linear approximation. Results have shown that differences, in terms of displacement, ranging between 20% and more than 80%, may occur and that large differences are present in terms of maximum principal stresses when the displacement is correctly approximated. Conclusions: This study clearly shows that, in a FE model, simulating large deformations material modeling strongly influences the accuracy of the solution.

J Appl Biomater Funct Mater 2014; 12(1): 27 - 34

Article Type: ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

DOI:10.5301/JABFM.2012.9337

Authors

Leonardo Ruggiero, Hugo Sol, Hichem Sahli, Sigrid Adriaenssens, Nele Adriaenssens

Article History

  • • Accepted on 28/04/2012
  • • Available online on 31/07/2012
  • • Published online on 12/06/2014

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Authors

  • Ruggiero, Leonardo [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
    Mechanics of Materials and Constructions (MeMC), Vrije Univeristeit Brussel, Brussels - Belgium and Electronics and Informatics (ETRO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels - Belgium
  • Sol, Hugo [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
    Mechanics of Materials and Constructions (MeMC), Vrije Univeristeit Brussel, Brussels - Belgium
  • Sahli, Hichem [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
    Electronics and Informatics (ETRO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels - Belgium
  • Adriaenssens, Sigrid [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
    Mechanics of Materials and Constructions (MeMC), Vrije Univeristeit Brussel, Brussels - Belgium
  • Adriaenssens, Nele [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
    Lymphedema and Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy (LYMF-KINE), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels - Belgium

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