FINITE-ELEMENT MODELING OF THE VIBRATIONAL BEHAVIOR OF THE HUMAN FEMUR USING CT-BASED INDIVIDUALIZED GEOMETRICAL AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES

Frequency analysis of long bones has been investigated as a tool to as sess bone quality or integrity. The objective of the present paper was to develop a three-dimensional finite element model of a fresh human femur with geometrical and mechanical properties derived from quantita tive computer tomography images. This model was then exercised and the results were compared to those obtained from a vibration analysis tec hnique. The percent relative error between the numerically and experim entally derived results was found about 4%. Finally, the influence of mechanical properties on the resonant spectre was studied. The results exhibit the limitations of the vibrational technique to detect slight material changes. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig hts reserved.