RESEARCH ON ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT EXPERIMENT OF DEFORMATION OF ARTIFICIAL THORAX MODEL

The method of numerical simulation has been used in the research setting for purposes related to the correction process of the pectus excavatum with scoliosis. Although a convenient method, the validity and accuracy of this technique need to be tested. Further complicating the validity of this technique is that we are unable to confirm results of numerical simulation via electrical measurement experiments in humans because of ethical considerations, nor are we able to attain cadavers of pectus excavatum with scoliosis to perform electrical measurement experiments on. Both animal thorax and artificial thorax models can be used for thoracic deformation experiments, but the translation of these models to humans is unclear due to contrasting anatomical arrangements of chest cavities. This paper attempts to solve this problem by making a PVC thorax model and carrying out electrical measurement experiments to assess strain–displacement under physiological loading conditions. We present data showing biomechanical responses of the thoracic skeleton to compressive loading, which may be used to guide the development of computational models of the thoracic skeleton and ultimately improve the treatment strategy of pectus excavatum.