A 3D DAMAGE MODEL FOR TRABECULAR BONE BASED ON FABRIC TENSORS

Motivated by the role of damage in normal and pathological conditions of trabecular bone, a novel 3D constitutive law was developed that des cribes anisotropic elasticity and the rate-independent degradation in mechanical properties resulting from the growth of cracks or voids in the trabecular tissue. The theoretical model was formulated within the framework of continuum damage mechanics and based on two fabric tenso rs characterizing the local trabecular morphology. Experimental valida tion of the model was achieved by uniaxial and torsional testing of wa isted bovine trabecular bone specimens. Strong correlations were found between cumulated permanent strain, reduction in elastic moduli and n onlinear postyield stress, which support the hypothesis that these var iables reflect the same underlying damage process. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.