Does mechanical stimulation really protect the architecture of trabecular bone? A simulation study

Open access
Date
2015-08Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
Although it is beyond doubt that mechanical stimulation is crucial to maintain bone mass, its role in preserving bone architecture is much less clear. Commonly, it is assumed that mechanics helps to conserve the trabecular network since an “accidental” thinning of a trabecula due to a resorption event would result in a local increase of load, thereby activating bone deposition there. However, considering that the thin trabecula is part of a network, it is not evident that load concentration happens locally on the weakened trabecula. The aim of this work was to clarify whether mechanical load has a protective role for preserving the trabecular network during remodeling. Trabecular bone is made dynamic by a remodeling algorithm, which results in a thickening/thinning of trabeculae with high/low strain energy density. Our simulations show that larger deviations from a regular cubic lattice result in a greater loss of trabeculae. Around lost trabeculae, the remaining trabeculae are on average thinner. More generally, thin trabeculae are more likely to have thin trabeculae in their neighborhood. The plausible consideration that a thin trabecula concentrates a higher amount of strain energy within itself is therefore only true when considering a single isolated trabecula. Mechano-regulated remodeling within a network-like architecture leads to local concentrations of thin trabeculae. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000094228Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Biomechanics and Modeling in MechanobiologyVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
SpringerSubject
Trabecular bone; Bone remodeling; Mechanical stimulation; Cellular solids; Mechano-regulation; Cubic lattice; Bone architectureOrganisational unit
03605 - Mazza, Edoardo / Mazza, Edoardo
03565 - Müller, Ralph / Müller, Ralph
Notes
It was possible to publish this article open access thanks to a Swiss National Licence with the publisher.More
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