Evaluation of the torsional vibration characteristics of a crankshaft system is indispensable to the development of marine diesel engines. It influences the selection or decision about shafting components such as the flywheel, torsional damper, generator and even modification of the crankshaft itself. In this paper, experimental and analytical investigations of torsional vibration were carried ...

BACKGROUND Displaced lateral malleolar fractures are often treated with reduction and surgical stabilization. However, there has not been a comprehensive laboratory comparison to determine the most appropriate device for treating these patients. This study subjected a range of contemporary lateral fibular plates to a series of mechanical tests designed to reveal performance differences. METHO...

Primarily for aerospace applications, harmonic drives (HD’s) are high-ratio, compact torque transmission systems. This mechanical transmission employs a continuous deflection wave along a non-rigid gear, the socalled ‘flexspline’, to allow gradual engagement of gear teeth. A harmonic drive also contains a wave-generator (a ball-bearing assembly with a rigid elliptical inner-race) and a circular...

OBJECTIVE In developing countries, tibial shaft fractures are frequently stabilised using Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) nails. Despite widespread use throughout the world, little is known regarding their biomechanical properties. This study aimed to compare the mechanical stiffness of the SIGN tibial nail with a standard hollow tibial nail. METHODS A fracture gap model was create...

DNA and other biopolymers differ from classical polymers because of their torsional stiffness. This property changes the statistical character of their conformations under tension from a classical random walk to a problem we call the "torsional directed walk." Motivated by a recent experiment on single lambda-DNA molecules [Strick, T. R., Allemand, J.-F., Bensimon, D., Bensimon, A. & Croquette,...

OBJECTIVES The angled blade plate has been the historical standard in fixed-angle extramedullary subtrochanteric femur fracture fixation, but it requires an extensile lateral approach to the femur. Little formal evaluation exists for specifically designed percutaneous extramedullary implants. The purpose of this study was to compare 3 locked plating constructs, all with percutaneous insertion c...

It is well established that many physical properties of DNA at sufficiently long length scales can be understood by means of simple polymer models. One of the most widely used elasticity models for DNA is the twistable worm-like chain (TWLC), which describes the double helix as a continuous elastic rod with bending and torsional stiffness. An extension of the TWLC, which has recently received s...

BACKGROUND In the last years intramedullary nailing has become the treatment of choice for most displaced diaphyseal tibia fractures. In contrast intramedullary nailing of distal tibia fractures is accompanied by problems like decreased biomechanical stability. Nevertheless the indications for intramedullary nailing have been extended to include even more distal fractures. The purpose of this s...