Redesign of a reverse shoulder prosthesis: Kinematic and mechanical study

In this work a commercial reverse shoulder prosthesis has been redesigned to improve performances in terms of range of movements of the implant and stability to dislocation. A kinematic and mechanic study has been performed using a realistic solid model of the prothesised shoulder: in particular, all the components of the prosthesis have been acquired via a 3D laser scanner and inserted in a virtual humerus-glenoid system by reproducing the common surgical procedure. The final model has been used to measure the maximum angles of abduction and rotation of the arm and the shear forces that cause dislocation. Modifications proposed to the commercial prosthesis are: a different orientation of t…

The durability of carbon fiber/epoxy composites under hydrothermal ageing

Studies on fibre reinforced composites are now receiving greater attention. Industrial applications have been successful in areas like aerospace, automobile, marine, construction and sporting goods. The first generation of epoxy resins for use in carbon fibre composites are able to achieve optimized high stiffness modules and high heat resistance by a high crosslink density, reached through thermal curing. However, these formulations can be very toxic and brittle with low crack resistance, which was a major disadvantage for structural applications. In the last years the use of ionizing radiation as alternative to thermal curing has been proposed as an environmentally friendly process. Furth…

Numerical methods in the design process of a sailing yacht

CFD parametric analysis and experimental results on a hydraulic actuator

A new methodology for the optimal design of crash-boxes