The porous cantilever beam as a model for spinal implants: Experimental, analytical and finite element analysis of dynamic properties

Abstract

Investigation of the dynamic properties of implants is essential to ensure safety and compatibility with the host's natural spinal tissue. This paper presents a simplified model of a cantilever beam to investigate the effects of holes/pores on the structures. Free vibration test is one of the most effective methods to measure the dynamic response of a cantilever beam, such as natural frequency and damping ratio. In this study, the natural frequencies of cantilever beams made of polycarbonate (PC) containing various circular open holes were investigated numerically, analytically, and experimentally. The experimental data confirmed the accuracy of the natural frequencies of the cantilever beam with open holes calculated by finite element and analytical models. In addition, two finite element simulation methods, the dynamic explicit and modal dynamic methods, were applied to determine the damping ratios of cantilever beams with open holes. Finite element analysis accurately simulated the damped vibration behavior of cantilever beams with open holes when known material damping properties were applied. The damping behavior of cantilever beams with random pores was simulated, highlighting a completely different relationship between porosity, natural frequency and damping response. The latter highlights the potential of finite element methods to analyze the dynamic response of arbitrary and complex structures, towards improved implant design.