ANSYS Helps Personalize Treatment for Osteoporosis

By DE Editors

Patient-specific finite element model (made with software from ANSYS) of theproximal femur of the hip joint. Courtesy of VPHOP Consortium (c)2008-2012.

ANSYS, Inc. (Southpointe, PA) announced itsparticipation in the Osteoporotic Virtual Physiological Human Project (VPHOP), which was launched this fall by aEuropean consortium, aims to develop a new generation of medical technologiesdesigned to predict the patient-specific risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture,improving diagnosis and treatment. Software from ANSYS is being used to simulatethe variety of structural and fluid flow dynamics within the human anatomy basedon the project's collection of anatomical, physiological, and pathologicaldata.

Currenttreatments for osteoporosis focus on fracture prevention through a riskassessment based on historical patient data from similar reference populations.VPHOP takes a different approach by personalizing risk assessment. The projectwill develop patient-specific computer models based on conventional diagnosticimaging methods, incorporating the results of engineering simulation studiesusing software from ANSYS, to predict the daily loading of the skeleton fornormal and abnormal activities. The computer models will allow clinicians topredict the actual risk and location of fracture for each patient, currently andinto the future.

Running forfour years until 2012, the VPHOP consortium will enable clinicians to provideaccurate prognoses and implement more-effective treatment strategies based onboth drug treatments and forms of direct intervention treatment. A searchabledatabase will be developed as part of this collaboration.

Visit ANSYS, Inc. for moreinformation.

Sources:Press materials received from the company and additional information gleanedfrom the company's website.