NUMERICAL MODELING OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF TRABECULARBONE - DAMAGE ACCUMULATION AND FAILURE

A simulation of the evolution of the trabecular bone structure with ag e is presented. The particular case of osteoporosis, a common disease in which the accumulation of damage may result in early bone fracture, is examined. The numerical simulation of this phenomenon makes use of a two-dimensional representation of the cellular microarchitecture of the bone, with simple local laws governing the local rates of evoluti on. The evolution with age of the microarchitecture of the bone is sim ulated, taking into account the influence of an applied load and the r edistribution of local stresses as a damaged structure develops. It is shown that the available experimental data on average control populat ions and the known factors favouring osteoporosis are correctly descri bed in a quantitative or semi-quantitative way. Fracture maps are defi ned, which illustrate a possible use of the numerical model as a tool for the prediction of fracture risk.