Relationship between sample volumes and modulus of human vertebral trabecular bone in micro-finite element analysis

Wen, Xin-Xin; Xua, Chao; Zong, Chun-Lin; Feng, Ya-Fei; Ma, Xiang-Yu; Wang, Fa-Qi; Yan, Ya-Bo; Lei, Wei

Affiliations

¹Department of Orthopedics, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi׳an, Shaanxi 710032, China

²State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China

³Department of Orthopedics, 463 Hospital of PLA, Shenyang, China

Abstract and keywords

Micro-finite element (μFE) models have been widely used to assess the biomechanical properties of trabecular bone. How to choose a proper sample volume of trabecular bone, which could predict the real bone biomechanical properties and reduce the calculation time, was an interesting problem. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between different sample volumes and apparent elastic modulus (E) calculated from μFE model. 5 Human lumbar vertebral bodies (L1–L5) were scanned by micro-CT. Cubic concentric samples of different lengths were constructed as the experimental groups and the largest possible volumes of interest (VOI) were constructed as the control group. A direct voxel-to-element approach was used to generate μFE models and steel layers were added to the superior and inferior surface to mimic axial compression tests. A 1% axial strain was prescribed to the top surface of the model to obtain the E values. ANOVA tests were performed to compare the E values from the different VOIs against that of the control group. Nonlinear function curve fitting was performed to study the relationship between volumes and E values. The larger cubic VOI included more nodes and elements, and more CPU times were needed for calculations. E values showed a descending tendency as the length of cubic VOI decreased. When the volume of VOI was smaller than (7.34 mm³), E values were significantly different from the control group. The fit function showed that E values approached an asymptotic values with increasing length of VOI. Our study demonstrated that apparent elastic modulus calculated from μFE models were affected by the sample volumes. There was a descending tendency of E values as the length of cubic VOI decreased. Sample volume which was not smaller than (7.34 mm³) was efficient enough and timesaving for the calculation of E.

Keywords: Apparent elastic modulus; Micro-finite element analysis; Trabecular bone; Volumes of interest; Human

Links

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2016.03.004

PubMed: 26999702

WoS: 000378969100043

History

Received: 2016-01-05

Revised: 2016-03-04

Accepted: 2016-03-07

Online: 2016-03-14

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2018	Driver MG. Finite Element Analysis of Cortical Shell Contributions to Apparent Stiffness and the Effect of Vascular Apertures in Rat Vertebrae Under Uniaxial Compression [Master's thesis]. Queen's University; December 2018.
2020	Amromanoh OA. An Experimental Study of the Effect of Bone Inorganic-Organic Composition on the Mechanical Properties [Master's thesis]. Winnipeg, MB: University of Manitoba; April 2020.