Finite element analysis of bone remodelling with piezoelectric effects using an open-source framework

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Computational Biology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Bone tissue possesses piezoelectric properties, converting mechanical stress to electrical potential.
• Piezoelectricity is crucial for bone adaptation and remodeling processes.
• Understanding mechanical and electrical stimulation interplay is vital for bone health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simulate strain-adaptive bone remodeling models, with and without considering the piezoelectric effect.
• To investigate the influence of initial bone density on predicted bone density distributions.
• To evaluate the potential of therapeutic electrical stimulation in conjunction with mechanical stimuli.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Python-based open-source software framework for simulations.
• Employed the finite element method (FEM) for spatial discretization.
• Used an explicit Euler scheme for temporal derivatives and validated against radiographic scans and BMD phantoms.

Main Results:

• Electrically stimulated bone surfaces demonstrated enhanced bone deposition.
• Simulation results align with existing literature findings.
• Initial bone density significantly impacts local and global predicted density distributions.

Conclusions:

• The piezoelectric effect plays a significant role in bone remodeling.
• Therapeutic electrical stimulation can complement mechanical stimuli to mitigate bone loss.
• The open-source framework enhances accessibility and reproducibility of bone remodeling simulations.