Resumo

MORAN, RICHARD  e  GARCIA ALVAREZ, JOSÉ JAIME. STUDY OF STIFFNESS AND STABILITY OF THE EXTERNAL FIXATOR ATLAS UNDER STATIC AND CYCLIC LOADING . Dyna rev.fac.nac.minas [online]. 2011, vol.78, n.165, pp.84-92. ISSN 0012-7353.

ATLAS is an external bone fixation system developed by the Grupo de Biomecánica of the Universidad Del Valle with the purpose to make it affordable to a wide spectrum of the population. The experimental and analytic characterization is presented of two non-convectional and widely used configurations of the system, which were subjected to static and cyclic tests. Additionally, a mathematical model using finite elements was developed and calibrated with the experimental results. This study showed a good performance of the system, characterized for a proper stability and stiffness comparable to those obtained with a Swiss commercial fixator AO® in similar configurations. On the other hand, tests under cyclic loading showed the stability of three configurations during a simulated gait protocol. Thus, the use of the system is completely validated which is in agreement with its good behavior during former tests.

Palavras-chave : External bone fixator; biomechanic characterization; fixation stiffness; bones fractures.

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