Numerical simulation of adaptive bone remodeling

Recent developments in computational mechanics and of high speed digital computers have lead to the implementation of various mathematical continuum models of adaptive bone remodeling depending on the internal bone structure and the loads applied to this structure. In order to study the variation in apparent density and structural anisotropy of the bone due to different loading situations, both mechanical and non-mechanical criteria are taken into account in the presented paper to simulate the bone adaptation behaviour. The mechanical and physiological modeling, its underlying assumptions and numerical implementation into a finite element program is presented. Sample calculation of the proximal femur illustrates the developed model.