Modeling Progressive Damage Accumulation in Bone Remodeling Explains the Thermodynamic Basis of Bone Resorption by...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Materials Science
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Computational modeling of skeletal tissue aims to predict bone's structural adaptation to mechanical loading.
• The theory of continuum damage-repair (CDR) is used for predicting long-term peri-implant outcomes.
• Existing CDR models do not fully account for mechanical damage accumulation and irreversible deformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a nonlinear mathematical model for independent damage accumulation and plastic deformation within the CDR framework.
• To incorporate empirical correlations from uniaxial experiments into the model.
• To investigate the impact of damage and plasticity on bone formation and structural integrity.

Main Methods:

• Developed a nonlinear mathematical model integrating damage accumulation and plastic deformation.
• Derived damage and yielding criteria, consistency conditions, and integration forms.
• Incorporated empirical correlations from uniaxial experiments for model calibration.
• Proved positivity of mechanical dissipation due to damage.

Main Results:

• The model demonstrates that damage and plasticity inhibit bone formation by dissipating energy crucial for biological processes.
• Numerical experiments showed material failure in scenarios predicted to have net bone gain.
• Strain-based, associative plastic flow and linear hardening characterize post-yield behavior.

Conclusions:

• The developed model provides a more comprehensive understanding of skeletal tissue adaptation under mechanical loading.
• Accounting for damage and plasticity is critical for accurate prediction of bone structural adaptation and peri-implant outcomes.
• This approach highlights potential failure mechanisms that could be overlooked by simpler models.