Mechanical engineering assistant professors Dana Carpenter and Christopher Yakacki have published their first jointly authored paper, which is featured in this month’s issue of Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials.

The study, titled “Monotonic and cyclic loading behavior of porous scaffolds made from poly (para-phenylene) for orthopedic applications,” was designed to integrate medical imaging, computer models, and mechanical testing to uncover the relationships between the porous structure and mechanical behavior of porous polymer scaffolds. These scaffolds have potential applications in a range of different medical devices, including orthopedic implants.

This research is the result of a collaboration between the CU Denver Smart Materials and Biomechanics Lab and investigators Carl Frick, Ray Fertig and Joe Hoyt at the University of Wyoming.