Application of beams on elastic foundation and B-spline solution methodologies to parametric analysis of intramedullary implant systems

A simple numerical technique for parametric evaluation of orthopaedic implant systems, to be used as a screening tool before complex structural analysis (e.g. Finite Element Methods), is the subject of this paper. A modified Beams on Elastic Foundation model (with non-constant foundation modulus) is solved using this numerical technique based on B-spline differential equation modelling. A model with variation in the modulus of the foundation, as solved with this spline technique, was compared with a model with constant foundation modulus, solvable with closed form techniques. While deflections were smaller, the reaction force was up to ten times greater for the models with constant modulus of foundation, compared with varying modulus. The model presented in this paper is a refinement of previous models using closed form solution techniques for foundations with constant moduli. It is primarily useful for detecting trends in parametric analyses, or to select specific cases for further analysis by more computationally intensive analytic methods.