A novel micromorphic approach captures non-locality in continuum bone remodelling

Titlbach, A., Papastavrou, A., McBride, A. and Steinmann, P. (2023) A novel micromorphic approach captures non-locality in continuum bone remodelling. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, (doi: 10.1080/10255842.2023.2223331) (PMID:37318076) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

In continuum bone remodelling, bone is considered as continuous matter on the macroscale. Motivated by i) the underlying trabecular microstructure of bone resulting in size-dependence and ii) the non-local characteristics of osteocyte mechanosensing, a novel phenomenological approach based on a micromorphic formulation is proposed. Via illustrative benchmark examples, i.e. elementary unit cube, rod-shaped bone samples, and a 3D-femur sample, the novel approach is compared to the established local formulation, and the influence of the characteristic size of the microcontinuum and the coupling between macro- and microscale deformation is analysed. Taken together, the interaction between continuum points at the macroscale and their neighbourhood is effectively captured by the micromorphic formulation thus influencing the resulting distribution of nominal bone density at the macroscale.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: McBride, Professor Andrew and Steinmann, Professor Paul
• Authors: Titlbach, A., Papastavrou, A., McBride, A., and Steinmann, P.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
• Journal Name: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1025-5842
• ISSN (Online): 1476-8259
• Published Online: 15 June 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Author(s).
• First Published: First published in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 2023
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
300129		Strategic Support Package: Engineering of Active Materials by Multiscale/Multiphysics Computational Mechanics	Christopher Pearce	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/R008531/1	ENG - Infrastructure & Environment