Influence of interstitial bone microcracks on strain-induced fluid flow

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Mechanobiology
• Skeletal Biology

Background:

• Microcracks stimulate bone remodeling by osteoclasts and osteoblasts.
• Microcracks are known to affect fluid flow and transport in bone tissue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate strain-induced interstitial fluid velocities in osteons near microcracks.
• To investigate the hydro-mechanical behavior of cracked osteonal bone tissue.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Biot theory for low-frequency poroelastic modeling.
• Employed finite element analysis to simulate fluid flow and stress in cracked bone.

Main Results:

• A microcrack in interstitial bone tissue significantly reduces fluid velocity within adjacent osteons.
• A fluid-inactive zone, covering up to 10% of osteon surface, can form due to microcracks.
• The fluid environment crucial for mechanosensitive bone cells is locally altered.

Conclusions:

• Microcracks create localized fluid-inactive zones within osteons.
• These altered fluid dynamics may impact mechanotransduction and bone remodeling processes.
• The findings highlight the mechanical influence of microcracks on the osteonal microenvironment.