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Bone is a complex material which exhibits several hierarchical levels of structural organization. At the submicron-scale, the local tissue porosity gives rise to discontinuities in the bone matrix which have been shown to influence damage behavior. Computational tools to model the damage behavior of bone at different length scales are mostly based on finite element (FE) analysis, with a range of algorithms developed for this purpose. Although the local mechanical behavior of bone tissue is influenced by microstructural features such as bone canals and osteocyte lacunae, they are often not considered in FE damage models due to the high computational cost required to simulate across several length scales, i.e., from the loads applied at the organ level down to the stresses and strains around bone canals and osteocyte lacunae. Hence, the aim of the current study was twofold: First, a multilevel FE framework was developed to compute, starting from the loads applied at the whole bone scale, the local mechanical forces acting at the micrometer and submicrometer level. Second, three simple microdamage simulation procedures based on element removal were developed and applied to bone samples at the submicrometer-scale, where cortical microporosity is included. The present microdamage algorithm produced a qualitatively analogous behavior to previous experimental tests based on stepwise mechanical compression combined with in situ synchrotron radiation computed tomography. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of simulating microdamage at a physiologically relevant scale using an image-based meshing technique and multilevel FE analysis; this allows relating microdamage behavior to intracortical bone microstructure.

Introduction Local bone yielding at the pin–bone interface of external fixation half-pins has been known to initiate fixator loosening. Deterioration of bone properties due to ageing and disease can lead to an increase in the risk of pin loosening. This study determines the extent, locations and mechanics of bone yielding for unilateral external fixation systems at the tibial midshaft with changes in age-related bone structure and properties. The study also evaluates the effect of the number of pins used in the fixation system and use of titanium pins (in place of steel) on bone yielding. Methods We employ nonlinear finite element (FE) simulations. Strain-based plasticity is used to simulate bone yielding within FE analyses. Our analyses also incorporate contact behaviour at pin–bone interfaces, orthotropic elasticity and periosteal–endosteal variation of bone properties. Results The results show that peri-implant yielded bone volume increases by three times from young to old-aged cases. The use of three, rather than two half-pins (on either side of the fracture), reduces the volume of yielded bone by 80% in all age groups. The use of titanium half-pins resulted in approximately 60–65% greater volumes of yielded bone. Conclusions We successfully simulate half-pin loosening at the bone–implant interface which has been found to occur clinically. Yielding across the full cortical thickness may explain the poor performance of these devices for old-aged cases. The models are able to identify patients particularly at risk of half-pin loosening, who may benefit from alternative fixator configurations or techniques such as those using pre-tensioned fine wires.

The potential for peri-implant bone yielding and subsequent loosening of Ilizarov ring-wire external fixation systems was investigated using non-linear finite element (FE) analyses. A strain-based plasticity model was employed to simulate bone yielding. FE models also incorporated contact behavior at the wire-bone interface, orthotropic elasticity, and periosteal-endosteal variation of bone properties. These simulations were used to determine the extent and location of yielding with change in age-related bone structure and properties for the bone-Ilizarov construct at the tibial midshaft. At critical wire-bone interfaces, the predicted volume of yielded bone with four wires (on either side of the fracture) was ∼40% of that with two wires. Old-aged cases showed considerably greater bone yielding at the wire-bone interface than young cases (1.7–2.2 times greater volumes of yielded bone). The volume of yielded bone at all wire-bone interfaces decreased with an increase in wire pre-tension. The absence of continuous through-thickness yielding offers an explanation for the clinical observation that Ilizarov ring-wire fixation can provide stable fracture fixation even in bone with high porosity. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:726–732, 2012

The study of the mechanical behaviour of trabecular bone has extensively employed micro-level finite element (μFE) models generated from images of real bone samples. It is now recognized that the key determinants of the mechanical behaviour of bone are related to its micro-architecture. The key indices of micro-architecture, in turn, depend on factors such as age, anatomical site, sex, and degree of osteoporosis. In practice, it is difficult to acquire sufficient samples that encompass these variations. In this preliminary study, a method of generating virtual finite element (FE) samples of trabecular bone is considered. Virtual samples, calibrated to satisfy some of the key micro-architectural characteristics, are generated computationally. The apparent level elastic and post-elastic mechanical behaviour of the generated samples is examined: the elastic mechanical response of these samples is found to compare well with natural trabecular bone studies conducted by previous investigators; the post-elastic response of virtual samples shows that material non-linearities have a much greater effect in comparison with geometrical non-linearity for the bone densities considered. Similar behaviour has been reported by previous studies conducted on real trabecular bone. It is concluded that virtual modelling presents a potentially valuable tool in the study of the mechanical behaviour of trabecular bone and the role of its micro-architecture.

Several modern Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) implants have been associated with increased release of metallic debris through combined mechanical fretting wear and chemical corrosion. These particles can lead to painful Adverse Reaction to Metallic Debris, often requiring early revision [1]. While much research has focused on improving the performance of bearing surfaces, the key parameters driving release of metallic debris at modular junctions remains unclear.© 2013 ASME

Homogenized elastic properties are often assumed for macro-finite element (FE) models used in orthopaedic biomechanics. The accuracy of material property assignments may have a strong effect on the ability of these models to make accurate predictions. For cortical bone, most macro-scale FE models assume isotropic elastic material behaviour and do not include variation of material properties due to bone micro-architecture. The first aim of the present study was to evaluate the variation of apparent-level (homogenized) orthotropic elastic constants of cortical bone with age and indices of bone micro-architecture. Considerable age-dependent differences in porosity were noted across the cortical thickness in previous research. The second aim of the study was to quantify the resulting differences in elastic constants between the periosteum and endosteum. Specimens were taken from the anterior femoral midshaft of 27 female donors (age 53.4 ± 23.6 years) and micro-FE (µFE) analysis was used to derive orthotropic elastic constants. The variation of orthotropic elastic constants (Young’s moduli, shear moduli, and Poisson’s ratios) with various cortical bone micro-architectural indices was investigated. The ratio of canal volume to tissue volume, Ca.V/TV, analogous to porosity, was found to be the strongest predictor ( r ave2 = 0.958) of the elastic constants. Age was less predictive ( r ave2 = 0.385) than Ca.V/TV. Elastic anisotropy increased with increasing Ca.V/TV, leading to lower elastic moduli in the transverse, typically less frequently loaded, directions. Increased Ca.V/TV led to a more substantial reduction in elastic constants at the endosteal aspect than at the periosteal aspect. The results are expected to be most applicable in similar midshaft locations of long bones; specific analysis of other sites would be necessary to evaluate elastic properties elsewhere. It was concluded that Ca.V/TV was the most predictive of cortical bone elastic constants and that considerable periosteal–endosteal variations in these constants can develop with bone loss.