The University of Tokyo · Engineering
Professor Naohiko Sugita's research lab specializes in biomechanical and thermal modeling in orthopedic surgery, focusing on the thermal effects of bone cutting and drilling during orthopedic procedures. The lab develops predictive thermal models to understand and minimize heat-induced bone damage, particularly osteocyte necrosis, by analyzing temperature distributions in cortical bone during surgical interventions. Their work combines theoretical modeling, finite-difference simulations, and experimental validation using thermography and controlled drilling tests. The primary goal is to enhance surgical safety and outcomes in procedures such as total knee arthroplasty by optimizing surgical parameters to prevent thermal injury.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Living bone must be cut before performing arthroplasty. For example, the distal part of the femur and the proximal part of the tibia must be cut to perform total knee arthroplasty. Osteocytes begin to necrose when the cutting temperature during such procedures exceeds 50 degrees C. In this study, the temperature distribution inside bone was calculated theoretically using a linear heat source moving on a semi-infinite plane. Moreover, the temperature distribution on the surface layer of the cutti
This paper provides a methodology to develop a thermal model for predicting the temperature rise during surgical drilling of bone. The thermal model consists of heat generation calculation based on classical machining theory and development of governing equations of heat transfer individually for drill bit and bone. These two governing equations are coupled by shared boundary conditions. Finite-difference method is utilized to approximate the thermal model and effects of drill bit geometry and p
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