Biomechanical and computational analysis of the use of void filling synthetic bone graft substitute in complex proximal humerus fractures

This thesis represents the results of work carried out by myself, Jim Kennedy, with the co-operation and facilitation of others.

Full ethics approval for all the work contained in this thesis was received form the research ethics committee of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Initial work on developing mechanical tests was performed in the Bioengineering Laboratory in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in University College Dublin, under the supervision of Mr. Luke Curley and Dr. David Fitzpatrick (Head of School of Engineering,UCD).

Storage and preparation of cadaveric tissues was carried out in the Smurfit Building, Beaumont Hospital under the supervision of Mr. Hannan Mullett (Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Beaumont Hospital) and Prof. A.D.K. Hill (Professor of Surgery, RCSI).

Biomechanical testing of cadaveric specimens was carried out in the Bioengineering Laboratory in Trinity College Dublin, under the supervision of Mr. Peter O’Reilly and Prof. Patrick Prendergast (Professor of Bioengineering, TCD).

All radiological studies of cadaveric tissues were performed at the Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin, under the supervision of Dr. Frank McGrath (Consultant Radiologist).

Computational modelling was carried out in both the School of Mechanical Engineering UCD and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, under the supervision of both Dr. David Fitzpatrick (Head of School of Engineering, UCD) and Dr. Patrick McGarry (Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, NUIG).