A model for prediction of bone stiffness using a mechanical approach of composite materials

A model to predict the bone stiffness is presented in this paper. The objective is to obtain a description of bone stiffness of a representative elementary volume (REV) based on a small set of physical parameters. The main idea is to use measurable information related to the orientation and the density of a basic elementary submicrostructure (ESMS). This ESMS is the first arrangement of the basic components. A simple rule-of-mixtures approach is used to provide the elastic properties for the ESMS. The basic properties are dependent on the volume fraction of the mineralized phase. The orientation and the density of the ESMS is described by a tensor and a scalar, respectively. The model is used to obtain the elastic properties of both the cortical and trabecular bones. Data from femoral bone are used to verify this approach.