A comparative study of orthotropic and isotropic bone adaptation in the femur.

摘要: Functional adaptation of the femur has been studied extensively by embedding remodelling algorithms in finite element models, with bone commonly assumed to have isotropic material properties for computational efficiency. However, isotropy is insufficient predicting directionality bone's observed microstructure. A novel iterative orthotropic 3D algorithm proposed and applied a model whole femur. Bone was modelled as an optimised strain-driven adaptive continuum local symmetry. Each element's orientations were aligned principal stress directions their corresponding directional Young's moduli updated proportionally associated strain stimuli. The converged predicted density distributions coronal section qualitatively quantitatively compared results obtained used approach ex vivo imaging data. assumption shown improve prediction distribution when more approach, whilst producing lower comparative mass, structurally models. It also that can provide additional information on femur, advantage over adaptation. Orthotropic models help improving research areas biomechanics where structure mechanical are key importance, such fracture implant assessment.