Eindhoven Area
Experimental and theoretical physics of bone, mostly exploring the roles of osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network in bone maintenance
Position at Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, UiB, with the aim to improve and characterize viable scaffolds to replace lost load bearing bone. Viable scaffolds are made by 3D-printing living cells inside a supporting structure. I analyse the mechanical performance of the scaffolds by, among other methods, mechanical testing using the MTS and Instron test machines. I use a miniature mechanical test device inside a micro-CT scanner to analyse local deformations and strain distribution of my designs.
My research topic is bone-implant fixation. Currently I focus on the bone-metal bond. On the bone side I quantify bone quality and make deformation patterns of bone under stress using a loading device inside a micro-CT scanner. On the implant side I quantify the metal surface and relate this to the measured bond strength between bone and metal. For the Bergen Retrieval Center I analyse radiographs that come with retrieved used implants and this is related to for example implant migration and histology. I developed a tool to be able to follow these parameters over time when only radiographs are available and no advanced methods (CT, MRI, and RSA) were used. We are currently validating against our RSA studies (Thomas Kadar et al) and will validate against CT and MRI. I studied the mechanism of failure of the bone-cement-metal bond in the lab and the how this bond can loosen inside the body. (One article is published, one submitted)
What a QA Officer does.
I developed a lumped element computer model of the heart and circulation to simulate: Mechanical dyssynchrony (a model of left bundle branch block) Left ventricular aneurism Cardiac assist devices