Masano Nakayama, Satoko Abiko, Xin Jiang, Atsushi Konno, and Masaru Uchiyama

Abstract:
Soft-tissue fracture simulation is a key to surgery simulation virtually reproducing cutting, dissection, and removal. Soft-tissue fracture is modeled by finite element fracture in which elements are removed if their stress exceeds a specified fracture stress. Removing elements without considering connection to adjacent elements may produce structurally unstable elements, that cause computational instability. We propose geometric limitation and element fracture method to avoid this instability. We confirmed the feasibility of our proposals by comparing blunt dissection simulation results to blunt dissection experiment results using agar.

Keywords: fracture, surgery simulation, FEM, soft tissue