Musculoskeletal Research Laboratories

Home Overview

Overview

FEBio

FEBio is a nonlinear finite element solver that is specifically designed for biomechanical applications. It offers modeling scenarios, constitutive models and boundary conditions that are relevant to many research areas in biomechanics. All features can be used together seamlessly, giving the user a powerful tool for solving 3D problems in computational biomechanics. The software is open-source, and pre-compiled executables for Windows, OS-X and Linux platforms are available.

FEBio supports two analysis types, namely quasi-static and dynamic. In a quasi-static analysis, the (quasi-) static response of the system is sought and the effects of inertia are ignored. In the presence of biphasic materials, a coupled solid-fluid problem is solved. In a dynamic analysis, the inertial effects are included in the governing equations to calculate the time dependent response of the system.

Many nonlinear constitutive models are available, allowing the user to model the often complicated biological tissue behavior. Several isotropic constitutive models are supported such as Neo-Hookean, Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden, Arruda-Boyce and Veronda-Westmann. In addition to the isotropic models there are several transversely isotropic constitutive models available. These models are useful for representing biological tissues such as tendons, muscles and other tissues that contain fibers. FEBio also contains a rigid body constitutive model, which can be used to represent materials or structures whose deformation is negligible compared to that of other materials in the overall model. Several constitutive models are available for representing the solid phase of biphasic materials, which are materials that contain both a solid phase and a fluid phase.

FEBio supports a wide range of boundary conditions to model interactions between materials that are relevant to problems in biomechanics. These include prescribed displacements, nodal forces and pressure forces. FEBio provides the ability to represent frictionless and frictional contact. As of version 1.2 it is also possible to model the fluid flow across two contacting poroelastic materials. Finally, the user may specify a body force to model the effects of, for instance, gravity or base acceleration.

FEBio is a nonlinear implicit FE solver and does not have mesh generation capabilities. Therefore the input files, which are described in detail in this document, need to be generated by preprocessing software. The preferred preprocessor for FEBio is called PreView.


Download



FEBio Download Files


The executable files are zipped and include the executable file, documentation and the verification suite. The Windows platform file includes an installer. On the other platforms, unzip the file into a directory. The test suites include a collection of over 100 verification problems and a collection of larger example problems. The source code is also available as a separate download.  The Release version is the stable version.  The Development version contains the latest feature additions.



Logging in will allow you to access our software downloads.
If you experience problems with downloads or come across any issues on the site please send an email to contact@mrlutah.com.


For all support questions, to request a feature or to report a bug, please visit the FEBio forum.


Documentation


FEBio Documentation


Documentation includes the user's and theory manuals in pdf and online forms and the source code documentation using Doxygen.


Online Manuals:

The online manuals use mathml to represent equations, which is not supported in all browsers. Firefox is the recommended browser. Opera has limited support and Safari and Chrome do not support mathml at this time. Internet Explorer users will need to download MathPlayer. MathPlayer download

FEBio Online Manuals


Download PDF:

icon FEBio 1.4 Developers Manual (191.01 kB 2011-09-14 15:32:46MT)

icon FEBio 1.6 Developers Manual (206.54 kB 2013-05-06 13:40:48)

icon FEBio 1.4 Theory Manual (869.16 kB 2011-09-21 15:03:55MT)

icon FEBio 1.4 Users Manual (740.79 kB 2011-09-21 15:05:06MT)

icon FEBio 1.5 Theory Manual (887.28 kB 2012-05-02 14:42:08MT)

icon FEBio 1.5 Users Manual (700.25 kB 2012-05-02 14:42:33MT)

icon FEBio Database Specification (187.12 kB 2012-04-18 17:59:33MT)


Release Notes:

icon Release Notes (43.61 kB 2012-05-02 14:53:27MT)


Source Code:


Source Code Documentation (Doxygen - opens in a new window)


Workshop Presentations

icon CMBBE 2013 FEBio Workshop - Multiphasic (65.08 MB)


For all support questions, to request a feature or to report a bug, please visit the FEBio forum.


Publications


FEBio Software Suite Publications


Publications either about FEBio, PreView or PostView, or that use them in research.


If you publish manuscripts, conference papers or abstracts that use FEBio, please reference the following manuscript:


Maas SA, Ellis BJ, Ateshian GA, Weiss JA:  FEBio: Finite Elements for Biomechanics.  Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 134(1):011005, 2012. (link) (PubMed) (pdf)


Lab Publications 

Articles

Abstracts

Dissertations and Theses


External Publications

Articles

Abstracts

Dissertations and Theses

Book Chapters



Gallery



FEBio Gallery

Screenshots, images and animation gallery from FEBio. Click on the thumbnails below.


FEBio Process :: Work flow for FEBio, clockwise from upper left: create model in PreView; xml file created by PreView; FEBio running model in command line interface; FEBio results viewed in PostView 2D Foot Walking with Friction :: Plane-strain model of a foot undergoing the stance phase of gait from heel-strike to toe-off. The arrows indicate the reaction forces caused by contact between the foot and floor. A friction coefficient of 0.5 is used for this contact and the contact is enforced using an augmented-Lagrangian routine. The soft tissues of the foot are represented with an Ogden material while the bones are modeled as rigid bodies. The kinematics that drive the model are applied at the calcaneus. Shoulder Capsule Subjected to a Clinical Exam :: 3D model of a shoulder illustrating the Von Mises stresses in the capsule during a clinical exam. The capsule tissue is represented with a Veronda-Westmann material while the glenoid and humerus are represented with rigid bodies. The kinematics are applied at the humerus and the scapula is fully constrained. Contact between the capsule and humerus is enforced using the penalty method. 3D Model of a Foot :: 3D model of a foot showing the pressure patterns that develop on the bottom of the foot while standing. The soft tissues of the foot are represented with an Ogden material and the bones (not shown) are represented with rigid bodies. The kinematics driving the model are applied at the calcaneus and the floor (not shown) is fully constrained. Contact between the foot and floor is enforced using an augmented-Lagrangian routine.

Total Hip Replacement and Hip Capsule :: Model of a total hip replacement and hip capsule illustrating the strains that develop in the capsule right before dislocation. The capsular soft tissues are represented with a neo-Hookean material and the total hip components are represented with rigid bodies. The kinematics driving the model are applied at the femoral component and the cup and liner are fully constrained. Contact between the hip capsule and cup is enforced using the penalty method. Left Ventricle Fiber Strain :: Model of the left ventricle of the heart showing the fiber strains during diastole and systole. The passive filling of diastole is simulated by applying a pressure within the left ventricle. The contraction during systole is generated by the active contraction material available within FEBio. The fiber strains results from FEBio where verified with experimental results and the results from another finite element code. Normal Hip Pressures :: Model of a normal hip illustrating femoral and acetabular cartilage pressures during walking. The model was generated from CT images of a person with a normal hip. By creating these subject-specific finite element models of normal hips and hips from patients who have dysplasia we will be able to compare the cartilage stresses in normal and dysplastic hips during activities of normal daily living. Shoulder Muscles :: FEBio is the only finite element code available that maintains an active contraction material for representing muscle. In this model, the bones and muscles of the shoulder were created based on MRI data. The model can be run by either prescribing the kinematics of the humerus or by prescribing the contraction of the muscles. In either case the scapula and glenoid are fully constrained.

Ear Model :: The image shows the deformation of the tympanic membrane, pars flaccida and middle ear ossicles under a static pressure load of 20kPa. The tympanic membrane and pars flaccida are modeled using a Veronda-Westman hyperelastic material; the ossicles are considered rigid. The middle-ear modeling was done at the Biomedical Physics Lab, University of Antwerp, and the Departments of BioMedical Engineering and Otalaryngology, McGill University. Index Finger Extensor Hood :: Model of the extensor hood showing the Von Mises stress with a 45˚ proximal interphalangeal joint angle, a 30˚ distal interphalangeal joint angle, and 12 Newtons applied to the Extensor Digitorum Communis. The extensor hood is discretized with shell elements and represented with a St. Venant-Kirchhoff constitutive equation, while the bones are represented with rigid bodies. Contact between the hood and bones is enforced using an augmented-Lagrangian routine. Cell Growth - Beam Buckling :: This is a demonstration of cell growth and buckling.  A beam fixed at both ends, consisting of a solid mixture with a neo-Hookean solid matrix (Young's modulus = 1 kPa) and cell growth material, where cells grow fivefold, has a disturbance in the form of a small force, temporarily nudging the beam upward at its center, while growth is proceeding.  For details see the discussion at the Examples section of our forums.


FEBio Videos


Saddle for Pressure

Saddle For Pressure


Beam Buckling Stiff

Beam Buckling Stiff


Beam Buckling Stiff

N8 Walk


Beam Buckling Stiff

PT 44 Walk


Left Ventricle

Left Ventricle


Hip

Hip



Support


FEBio Support


Please visit the FEBio forum for support

External Grants

FEBio: Finite Elements for Biomechanics (R01GM083925)
Principal Investigator(s): Jeffrey A. Weiss, Gerard A. Ateshian
Dates: 09-01-2012 to 08-31-2016


Development of FEBio is supported in part by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health



 

Main Menu


Warnock Engineering Building
72 South Central Campus Drive, Rm. 2646
Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Contact us

Disclaimer | Privacy Statement