Biomimetic Finite Element Analysis Bone Modeling for Customized Hybrid Biological Prostheses Development

Abstract

The human femur shows a high capacity to withstand external stresses and it is due to the mass distribution, morphology, and orthotropic behaviors of trabecular and cortical bone. Faithful modeling of the femur accounting for bone distribution and material orthotropic behavior is presented. The use of biofidel model is aimed to develop an "in silico" tool that could enable the valuation of biomechanics modification induced by the alteration of the structural and morphological characteristic in prothesized bones. Moreover, a faithful model assists us in the development of new design criteria for innovative prosthetic systems that, following the isostatic loading lines, could restore the physiological and natural stress and strains distribution. In this study a biofidel femur Finite Element Model (FEM) has been developed from Computerized Tomography (CT) scans using specific combination of software's to correctly represent bone physiology and structural behavior. Proper identification of trabecular bone arrangement and distribution in the proximal diaphysis enabled modeling and definition of material properties. The faithful femur model proposed allows us to correctly account for non-isotropic properties to the proximal end explaining the critical structural role played by trabecular bone that should be taken into account in the design of new innovative prosthetic system.