Subject-specific bone remodelling of the scapula
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

Measurement of Dynamic Scapular Kinematics Using an Acromion Marker Cluster to Minimize Skin Movement Artifact
Published on: February 10, 2015
Carlos Quental1, João Folgado, Paulo R Fernandes
1a IDMEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon , Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1 1049-001 , Lisbon , Portugal.
Abstract:
Finite element analyses, with increasing levels of detail and complexity, are becoming effective tools to evaluate the performance of joint replacement prostheses and to predict the behaviour of bone. As a first step towards the study of the complications of shoulder arthroplasty, the aim of this work was the development and validation of a 3D finite element model of an intact scapula for the prediction of the bone remodelling process based on a previously published model that attempts to follow Wolff's law. The boundary conditions applied include full muscle and joint loads taken from a multibody system of the upper limb based on the same subject whose scapula was here analysed. To validate the bone remodelling simulations, qualitative and quantitative comparisons between the predicted and the specimen's bone density distribution were performed. The results showed that the bone remodelling model was able to successfully reproduce the actual bone density distribution of the analysed scapula.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Remodeling
Muscles of the Shoulder
Anterior Thoracic Muscles
The anterior thoracic muscles include the serratus anterior, subclavius, and...
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification
Muscles that Move the Arm
The pectoralis major has two origins. Its clavicular head originates on the medial half of the clavicle. In contrast, the sternocostal head originates on the costal cartilages of ribs 1-6, the sternum, and the aponeurosis of the external oblique of the...
