Trabecular bone remodelling: finite-element simulation

Abstract Finite-element models are used to estimate numerically the distribution of bone mineral density (BMD) as a result of bone remodelling process from the loads applied. However, the effect of initial BMD distribution on trabecular-bone remodelling is still unknown. In this paper, the effect of initial density distributions as an input in the finite-element model on a structural-functional relationship of trabecular bone was investigated. A multi-material model representing a realistic density distribution was used based on the grey-scale value (GV) distribution and compared with a traditional single-material model. Different trabecular morphologies with density distributions were observed for these two material models. Similar character of the occurrence of density (in terms of element and volume fraction) of trabecular bone from a femur head were found, with the same highest number of elements in the density range from 1.25 to 1.35 g/cm3. These results indicate that previous simplified models using single-material properties for trabecular bone may not lead to considerable errors.