• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1549-1554
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• 2010

Recently, plastic screws have replaced metal screws because of the former's light weight, thermal and electrical insulating properties, and anticorrosion characteristics. Plastic screws are usually produced by injection molding, which involves material shrinkage during the solidification of the polymer. This shrinkage results in the degeneration of the dimensional accuracy. In the present study, the effect of injection-molding conditions on the dimensional accuracy of plastic screws was investigated through a numerical simulation of injection molding; on the basis of this simulation, we could determine the mold-design parameters. The design of experiment was applied in accordance with the numerical analysis in order to optimize the injection-molding conditions with a view to improving the dimensional accuracy of the precision plastic screw.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2010

Objective : Iliac screw fixation has been used to prevent premature loosening of sacral fixation and to provide more rigid fixation of the sacropelvic unit. We describe our technique for iliac screw placement and review our experience with this technique. Methods : Thirteen consecutive patients who underwent spinopelvic fixation using iliac screws were enrolled. The indications for spinopelvic fixation included long segment fusions for spinal deformity and post-operative flat-back syndrome, symptomatic pseudoarthrosis of previous lumbosacral fusions, high-grade lumbosacral spondylolisthesis, lumbosacral tumors, and sacral fractures. Radiographic outcomes were assessed using plain radiographs, and computed tomographic scans. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and questionnaire about buttock pain. Results : The median follow-up period was 33 months (range, 13-54 months). Radiographic fusion across the lumbosacral junction was obtained in all 13 patients. The average pre- and post-operative ODI scores were 40.0 and 17.5, respectively. The questionnaire for buttock pain revealed the following : 9 patients (69%) perceived improvement; 3 patients (23%) reported no change; and 1 patient (7.6%) had aggravation of pain. Two patients complained of prominence of the iliac hardware. The complications included one violation of the greater sciatic notch and one deep wound infection. Conclusion : Iliac screw fixation is a safe and valuable technique that provides added structural support to S1 screws in long-segment spinal fusions. Iliac screw fixation is an extensive surgical procedure with potential complications, but high success rates can be achieved when it is performed systematically and in appropriately selected patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.104-111
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• 2020

Purpose: Although exchange nailing is a standard method of treating femoral shaft nonunion, various rates of healing, ranging from 72% to 100%, have been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of exchange nailing in femoral shaft nonunion. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 30 cases of aseptic femoral shaft nonunion after intramedullary nailing. The mean postsurgical period of nonunion was 66.8 weeks. A nail at least 2 mm larger in diameter was selected to replace the previous nail after reaming. Distal fixation was performed using at least two interlocking screws. The success of the procedure was determined by the finding of union on simple radiographs. Possible reasons for failure were analyzed, including the location of nonunion, the type of nonunion, and the number of screws used for distal fixation. Results: Of the 30 cases, 27 achieved primary healing with the technique of exchange nailing. The average time to achieve union was 23.1 weeks (range, 13.7-36.9 weeks). The three failures involved nonunion at the isthmic level (three of 15 cases), not at the infraisthmic level (zero of 15 cases). Of eight cases of oligotrophic nonunion, two (25%) failed to heal, and of 22 cases of hypertrophic nonunion, one (4.5%) failed to heal. Of 11 cases involving two screws at the distal fixation, two (18.2%) failed to heal, and of 19 cases involving three or more screws, one (5.3%) failed to heal. None of these findings was statistically significant. Conclusions: Exchange nailing may enable successful healing in cases of aseptic nonunion of the femoral shaft. Although nonunion at the isthmic level, oligotrophic nonunion, and weaker distal fixation seemed to be associated with a higher chance of failure, further study is needed to confirm those findings.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.631-637
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• 2005

This paper presents a stiffness analysis method for a low-DOF parallel manipulator, which takes into account of elastic deformations of joints and links. A low-DOF parallel manipulator is defined as a spatial parallel manipulator which has less than six degrees of freedom. Differently from the case of a 6-DOF parallel manipulator, the serial chains in a low-DOF parallel manipulator are subject to constraint forces as well as actuation forces. The reaction forces due to actuations and constraints in each limb can be determined by making use of the theory of reciprocal screws. It is shown that the stiffness model of an F-DOF parallel manipulator consists of F springs related to the reciprocal screws of actuations and 6-F springs related to the reciprocal screws of constraints, which connect the moving platform to the fixed base in parallel. The $6{times}6$ stiffness matrix is derived, which is the sum of the stiffness matrices of actuations and constraints. The six spring constants can be precisely determined by modeling the compliance of joints and links in a serial chain as follows; the link can be considered as an Euler beam and the stiffness matrix of rotational or prismatic joint can be modeled as a $6{times}6$ diagonal matrix, where one diagonal element about the rotation axis or along the sliding direction is zero. By summing the elastic deformations in joints and links, the compliance matrix of a serial chain is obtained. Finally, applying the reciprocal screws to the compliance matrix of a serial chain, the compliance values of springs can be determined. As an example of explaining the procedure, the stiffness of the Tricept parallel manipulator has been analyzed.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.366-375
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• 2001

The objective of this study was to investigate the surface contact and screw joint stability between screw and implant interface by use of sealer. The implants evaluated in this study were Steri-Oss futures(Hexlock $3.8D{\times}10mm$: Steri-Oss, Yorba Linda, CA), and Steri-Oss staight abutment. Titanium alloy screws were used to secure abutments to implants. The other titanium alloy screws applicating sealer(Impla-Seal, Implant Support Systems, Inc. Irvine, CA) were used to secure abutments to implants. In one another sample, 6kg of force was applied during simulated intraoral movements after abutment screws were secured to the implants with sealer. All samples were cross sectioned with sandpaper and polished with $0.1{\mu}m\;Al_2O_3$. Then samples were recorded with an scanning electron microscope. The results were as follows : 1. In the case of titanium alloy screw, irregular contacts and relatively large gap were present at thread mating surface. Also abutment screw/implant interface demonstrate incomplete seating and only one surface contact of threads between implant and screw. 2. In the case of titanium alloy screw applecating sealer, sealer was present between implant and screw. Therefore implant and screw had relatively close and tight contact without the presence of large gap. 3. On the other hand, in the case of titanium alloy screw applicating sealer and dynamic loading of suprastructures, sealer was partially present between implant and screw. Conclusively, sealer fills voids, creating a barrier to moisture and bacteria. In addition, loading of suprastructures may change the situation and limit the indications for gap sealing.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.971-978
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• 2016

Recent trends in miniaturization and lightness in portable electronics parts have driven developments in subminiature screws. This study aims to investigate the thread rolling process of a subminiature screw with an outer diameter and pitch of 1.0 and 0.25 mm, respectively. Finite element (FE) analyses were performed for the thread rolling process of symmetric and asymmetric screw threads. Through FE analyses, various process parameters, such as the horizontal and vertical die gap and the rolling stroke, were investigated in terms of the forming accuracy. The material flow characteristics in the thread rolling process of the symmetric and asymmetric screws were also discussed, and the relevant process parameters were determined accordingly. These simulation results were then reflected on real thread rolling processes, from which the symmetric and asymmetric screws could be formed successfully with allowable dimensional accuracy.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1998 no.11
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• pp.155-156
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• 1998

Screw loosening and subsequent pullout can be attributed to the reduction in bone mineral density in the vertebrae manifested by osteoporosis in which the decrease in fixation strength between the cancellous bone and screw threads are accelerated by repeated loads exerted by patients own weight and activities following the surgery. In this study, the change in pullout strength of the pedicle screws was investigated before and after repeated loads were imparted. For this purpose. Diapason pedicle screws $(6.7\times40mm)$ were inserted onto fresh porcine spine specimens (T1-L5) after bone mineral density was measured using a DEXA. With an MTS, an axial load was applied at a loading rate of 0.33mm/sec until failure to measure the maximum pullout strength. Flexion moment of 7.5N-m was then imparted at 0.5Hz for 2000 cycles. It was found that the maximum pullout strength was exponentially related to BMD regardless of load types ($107.71\;\times\;\exp^{(1.43{\times}BMD)}r^2=0.93$, P<0.0001 without repeated load; ($107.71\;\times\;\exp^{(2.19{\times}BMD)}r^2=0.78$, P<0.0001 with repeated load). The results suggest that the reduction in pullout strength for pedicle screws is far more prominent in osteoporotic spine than in normal spine especially as number of repeated load was increased. More importantly, it was demonstrated that the level of bone mineral density and the activity level of the patient should be evaluated in more detail for successful implementation of pedicle screw systems in spinal surgery.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.943-950
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare by finite element analysis the biomechanical performance, in terms of cervical stand-alone cage screw insert angle (Type 3 - 5: 2 Screws) and screw arrangement (Type 6 and 7: 3 Screws / Type 8 and 9: 4 Screws), and the range of motion (ROM) of traditional anterior cervical discectomy of a fusion device (Type 1: Cage / Type 2: Cage + ACP). Our study suggests that the biomechanical behavior of a postoperative cervical spine could indeed be influenced by design features, such as screw angle and number of screws. In particular, ROM and the risk of subsidence were more sensitive during extension about type 5 (Insert Angle $20^{\circ}$). Our study also suggested that the number of screw asymmetries between up and down for type 6 and 7 could result in differences in the risk of screw fracture manifesting in different clinical aspects.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.979-984
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• 2016

Recently, ball screws have been used in machine tools, robot parts, and medical instruments. The demand for ball screws of high precision and reduced size is increasing because of the growth of high value-added industries. Three types of ball screws are typically used: deflector type, end-cap type, and tube type. They are also classified from C0 to C9 according to the precision level. A deflector type ball screw can reduce the variation of rotational torque and the size of the nut of the ball screw is minimized. To ensure the reliable design of ball screws, it is important to perform a structural analysis. The purpose of this study is to perform a stability evaluation through analysis of a deflector type miniature ball screw for weapon systems. The analysis is performed through Finite Elements Method (FEM) simulation to predict characteristics such as deformation, stress, and thermal effects. The interference between the shaft and the deflector for smooth rotation are also studied. Based on the results of the analysis, the development of the deflector type miniature ball screw for weapon systems is performed.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.42-47
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of abutment screws used with the zirconia fixture-based implant system and compare them with those used with the existing titanium fixture system via the finite element method. Methods: A single implant-supported restoration was designed for the finite element analysis. A universal analysis program was used to set 8 occlusal points along the direction to the long axis of the implant, and an occlusal load of 700 N was applied. Results: In all models (Zir and Ti-fixture model), the screw threads presented with the highest von Mises stress (VMS) values, whereas the head and end presented with the lowest VMS values. The VMS of the screw used in the zirconia-fixture model was 5.97% lower than that used in the titanium-fixture model (261.258 vs. 276.911 MPa, respectively) despite statistical significance. Furthermore, the zirconia fixture (352.912 MPa) had a higher stress value (8.42%) than the titanium fixture (332.331 MPa). In a completely tightened titanium fixture implant system, the stress was concentrated in the implant-abutment connection interface, the zirconia fixture presented with a stable stress distribution. Conclusion: Although the zirconia fixture demonstrated a high VMS value, owing to the stiffness and elasticity coefficients of the material, the stress generated in the abutment screws was similar in all models. In conclusion, the zirconia fixture-based implant system presented with a more stable stress distribution in the abutment screws than the titanium fixture-based implant system.