Comparison between FEBio and Abaqus for biphasic contact problems

Articular cartilage plays an important role in the function of diarthrodial joints. Computational methods have been used to study the biphasic mechanics of cartilage, and Abaqus has been one of the most widely used commercial software packages for this purpose. A newly developed open-source finite element solver, FEBio, has been developed specifically for biomechanical applications. The aim of this study was to undertake a direct comparison between FEBio and Abaqus for some practical contact problems involving cartilage. Three model types, representing a porous flat-ended indentation test, a spherical-ended indentation test, and a conceptual natural joint contact model, were compared. In addition, a parameter sensitivity study was also performed for the spherical-ended indentation test to investigate the effects of changes in the input material properties on the model outputs, using both FEBio and Abaqus. Excellent agreement was found between FEBio and Abaqus for all of the model types and across the range of material properties that were investigated.

[1]  Fulin Lei,et al.  Inverse analysis of constitutive models: biological soft tissues. , 2007, Journal of biomechanics.

[2]  B. Simon,et al.  Multiphase Poroelastic Finite Element Models for Soft Tissue Structures , 1992 .

[3]  Alfio Grillo,et al.  A transversely isotropic, transversely homogeneous microstructural-statistical model of articular cartilage. , 2005, Journal of biomechanics.

[4]  W Herzog,et al.  Evaluation of the finite element software ABAQUS for biomechanical modelling of biphasic tissues. , 1997, Journal of biomechanics.

[5]  M. Holmes.  Finite deformation of soft tissue: analysis of a mixture model in uni-axial compression. , 1986, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[6]  Walter Herzog,et al.  Erratum: “Effect of Fluid Boundary Conditions on Joint Contact Mechanics and Applications to the Modelling of Osteoarthritic Joints,” J. Biomech. Eng., 126(2), pp. 220–225 , 2005 .

[7]  Walter Herzog,et al.  Effect of fluid boundary conditions on joint contact mechanics and applications to the modeling of osteoarthritic joints. , 2004, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[8]  L. Ryd,et al.  Finite element simulations of a focal knee resurfacing implant applied to localized cartilage defects in a sheep model. , 2011, Journal of biomechanics.

[9]  J. Fisher,et al.  Comparison of human and animal femoral head chondral properties and geometries , 2012, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine.

[10]  R. Spilker,et al.  Biphasic finite element modeling of hydrated soft tissue contact using an augmented Lagrangian method. , 2011, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[11]  John Fisher,et al.  Modelling of fluid support inside articular cartilage during sliding , 2007 .

[12]  P. Savard,et al.  Creep behavior of the intact and meniscectomy knee joints. , 2011, Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials.

[13]  A van der Voet,et al.  A comparison of finite element codes for the solution of biphasic poroelastic problems. , 1997, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine.

[14]  Zhongmin Jin,et al.  Fluid load support and contact mechanics of hemiarthroplasty in the natural hip joint. , 2011, Medical engineering & physics.

[15]  Martin Schanz,et al.  A comparative study of Biot's theory and the linear Theory of Porous Media for wave propagation problems , 2003 .

[16]  W. Herzog,et al.  Finite Element Simulation of Location- and Time-Dependent Mechanical Behavior of Chondrocytes in Unconfined Compression Tests , 2000, Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

[17]  Benjamin J. Ellis,et al.  FEBio: finite elements for biomechanics. , 2012, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[18]  R. Spilker,et al.  Indentation analysis of biphasic articular cartilage: nonlinear phenomena under finite deformation. , 1994, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[19]  M. J. Abd Latif,et al.  Biomechanical characterisation of ovine spinal facet joint cartilage. , 2012, Journal of biomechanics.

[20]  Zhongmin Jin,et al.  Robust and general method for determining surface fluid flow boundary conditions in articular cartilage contact mechanics modeling. , 2010, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[21]  W M Lai,et al.  Boundary conditions at the cartilage-synovial fluid interface for joint lubrication and theoretical verifications. , 1989, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[22]  M. Warner,et al.  Finite element biphasic indentation of cartilage: A comparison of experimental indenter and physiological contact geometries , 2001, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine.

[23]  V. Mow,et al.  Biphasic creep and stress relaxation of articular cartilage in compression? Theory and experiments. , 1980, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[24]  Nicholas J Giori,et al.  The low permeability of healthy meniscus and labrum limit articular cartilage consolidation and maintain fluid load support in the knee and hip. , 2012, Journal of biomechanics.

[25]  LePing Li,et al.  Three-dimensional fibril-reinforced finite element model of articular cartilage , 2009, Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing.

[26]  L. P. Li,et al.  A human knee joint model considering fluid pressure and fiber orientation in cartilages and menisci. , 2011, Medical engineering & physics.

[27]  Gerard A Ateshian,et al.  Finite element algorithm for frictionless contact of porous permeable media under finite deformation and sliding. , 2010, Journal of biomechanical engineering.