This paper presents methods to investigate the dependence of the CT images resolution to the rib geometrical properties and the rib mechanical behavior during antero‐posterior bending. This study suggests that clinical‐CT images may be sufficient to create proper rib cage geometry.

PMHS ribs were harvested and tested under antero‐posterior bending. After the tests, 34 rib slices were cut from the posterior, lateral and anterior aspects. The sections were imaged with micro‐ and clinical‐CT, and their geometrical parameters were compared. The results showed that clinical‐CT overestimates the overall crosssectional area by around 8%, cortical area by 40% and moments of inertia by 50%. A numerical scheme was developed to correct the measurements obtained from the clinical‐CT using the information gathered locally from micro‐CT.

A parametric study was carried out:​ finite element models for the antero‐posterior bending tests were created based on the variations in geometrical parameters defined from the CT analysis. It was found that the FE model’s mechanical response was greatly sensitive to the image modality. The method presented in this study introduces a new approach that combines clinical‐CT images with the local measurements from micro‐CT. This combination was found to be effective in reducing the disparity between the experimental and numerical results.