Simulation study on the force-electric effect of piezoelectric bone and osteocytes under static and dynamic...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Mechanobiology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Bone's piezoelectric effect influences cellular behavior.
• Osteoporosis treatment requires understanding bone's mechanical response.
• Streaming potential (SP) is linked to bone's electro-mechanical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze streaming potential (SP) generation under static and dynamic bone compression.
• To investigate the impact of piezoelectricity on SP in bone.
• To elucidate the role of SP in osteocyte mechanotransduction for osteoporosis treatment.

Main Methods:

• Developed a 3D fluid-structure interaction finite element model of an osteon with osteocytes using COMSOL.
• Integrated the piezoelectric equation into the SP generation equation.
• Simulated SP under seven distinct working conditions, including static and dynamic compression.

Main Results:

• Observed alternating positive and negative SP acting on osteocytes under dynamic loads.
• Demonstrated that SP under dynamic loads is approximately three orders of magnitude higher than under static loads.
• Indicated that dynamic loading enhances the osteocytes' force-electric microenvironment.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic mechanical loading significantly enhances the streaming potential (SP) in bone's microenvironment.
• The force-electric effect, particularly SP, offers insights into the mechanisms underlying osteoporosis treatment.
• Understanding SP generation is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies for bone diseases.