AUTOMATED FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF EXCISED HUMAN FEMORA BASED ON PRECISION-QCT

The creation of 3-D finite element (FE) models of bone and implant-bon e systems is a labor-intensive task due to the need to model different cases and variations, to perform patch tests and to account for the n onhomogeneous material properties with an acceptable amount of work. I n this study, we developed an interface between a precision QCT and a FE system and applied it to a specimen bone. With the new method, the time necessary for model generation was reduced substantially. Further more, the elastic properties for each element were automatically deriv ed from the corresponding CT-values. In order to demonstrate the impor tance of taking into account inhomogeneity, a comparison between the n onhomogeneous model and a homogeneous, ''averaged'' model was performe d.