In the context of reconciling the mechanical properties of trabecular bone measured from in vitro mechanical testing with the true in situ behavior, recent attention has focused on the “side-artifact” which results from interruption of the trabecular network along the sides of machined specimens. The objective of this study was to compare the magnitude of the side-artifact error for measurements of elastic modulus vs. yield stress and to determine the dependence of these errors on anatomic site and trabecular micro-architecture. Using a series of parametric variations on micro-CT-based finite element models of trabecular bone from the human vertebral body (n=24) and femoral neck (n=10), side-artifact correction factors were quantified as the ratio of the side-artifact-free apparent mechanical property to the corresponding property measured in a typical experiment. The mean (±SD) correction factors for yield stress were 1.32±0.17 vs. 1.20±0.11 for the vertebral body and femoral neck (p<0.05), respectively, and the corresponding factors for modulus were 1.24±0.09 vs. 1.10±0.04 (p<0.0001). Correction factors were greater for yield stress than modulus (p<0.003), but no anatomic site effect was detected (p>0.29) after accounting for variations in bone volume fraction (BV/TV). Approximately 30–55% of the variation in the correction factors for modulus and yield stress could be accounted for by BV/TV or micro-architecture, representing an appreciable systematic component of the error. Although some scatter in the correction factor–BV/TV relationships may confound accurate correction of modulus and yield stress for individual specimens, side-artifact correction is nonetheless essential for obtaining accurate mean estimates of modulus and yield stress for a cohort of specimens. We conclude that appreciation and correction for the differential effects of the side-artifact in modulus vs. yield stress and their dependence on BV/TV may improve the interpretation of measured elastic and failure properties for trabecular bone.
Keywords:
Cancellous bone; Finite element modeling; Bone quality; Bone biomechanics; Bone strength