Journal Article

Considerations for reporting finite element analysis studies in biomechanics

Guess, Trent M., Morrison, Tina M., Halloran, Jason, Erdemir, Ahmet, Tadepalli, Srinivas C.

2012

Overview

Simulation-based medicine and the development of complex computer models of biological structures is becoming ubiquitous for advancing biomedical engineering and clinical research. Finite element analysis (FEA) has been widely used in the last few decades to understand and predict biomechanical phenomena. Modeling and simulation approaches in biomechanics are highly interdisciplinary, involving novice and skilled developers in all areas of biomedical engineering and biology. While recent advances in model development and simulation platforms offer a wide range of tools to investigators, the decision making process during modeling and simulation has become more opaque. Hence, reliability of such models used for medical decision making and for driving multiscale analysis comes into question. Establishing guidelines for model development and dissemination is a daunting task, particularly with the complex and convoluted models used in FEA. Nonetheless, if better reporting can be established, researchers will have a better understanding of a model's value and the potential for reusability through sharing will be bolstered. Thus, the goal of this document is to identify resources and considerate reporting parameters for FEA studies in biomechanics. These entail various levels of reporting parameters for model identification, model structure, simulation structure, verification, validation, and availability. While we recognize that it may not be possible to provide and detail all of the reporting considerations presented, it is possible to establish a level of confidence with selective use of these parameters. More detailed reporting, however, can establish an explicit outline of the decision-making process in simulation-based analysis for enhanced reproducibility, reusability, and sharing.

• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd,Elsevier,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Animals / Biological and medical sciences / Biomechanical Phenomena / Biomechanics / Biomechanics. Biorheology / Biomedical engineering / Biomedical Engineering - methods / Computer simulation / Computerized, statistical medical data processing and models in biomedicine / Decision making / Device evaluation / Device mechanics / Finite Element Analysis / Finite element method / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / General aspects / Humans / Joint biomechanics / Mathematical analysis / Mathematical models / Mathematics in biology. Statistical analysis. Models. Metrology. Data processing in biology (general aspects) / Medical sciences / Models and simulation / Models, Biological / Musculoskeletal system / Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation / Reporting / Standards in modeling / Tissue mechanics / Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics