Empirical Foundations for Computational Modeling of Medical Implants

Validating the in vivo performance of implantable medical devices requires robust computational models that utilize appropriate loading and boundary conditions to represent in vivo conditions. Fatigue safety factors derived from computational models are most meaningful when they are based on material life data obtained from physiologically relevant test conditions of samples with similar process and deformation histories. In this paper, we present selected results that leverage novel experimental techniques that we have used to design robust implant components and develop effective test methods to guarantee they will resist fatigue.