Mesh-independent damage model for trabecular bone fracture simulation and experimental validation.

Area of Science:

• Computational mechanics
• Biomaterials science
• Orthopedic biomechanics

Background:

• Trabecular bone exhibits complex failure mechanisms.
• Existing models may not fully capture the multi-phase fracture behavior of bone tissue.
• Understanding bone fracture is crucial for developing effective treatments and implants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel two-dimensional constitutive model for trabecular bone.
• To incorporate continuum damage mechanics with embedded strong discontinuity.
• To accurately describe the three failure phases of trabecular bone as a quasi-brittle material.

Main Methods:

• Finite element implementation using constant strain triangle (CST) elements.
• Implicit solution of displacement jump vector via return mapping algorithm.
• Global equilibrium solved using the Newton-Raphson method.

Main Results:

• The proposed model successfully describes the three failure phases of trabecular bone.
• Numerical simulations of three-point bending tests on bovine trabeculae showed good agreement with experimental data.
• Validation confirmed the model's accuracy in capturing both global and local fracture aspects.

Conclusions:

• The developed constitutive model provides a robust framework for simulating trabecular bone fracture.
• The model's ability to capture multi-phase failure enhances its applicability in biomechanical research.
• This work contributes to a better understanding of bone mechanics and fracture prediction.