Mechanoregulation algorithms predicting peri-prosthetic bone adaptations

Abstract

Numerous mechanobiological algorithms have been developed in recent years to simulate biological processes such as bone remodelling and tissue differentiation. However, the implementation of such algorithms for the design and testing of orthopaedic devices has yet to be fully realised. In this thesis a mechanoregulation algorithm based on a combined strain-damage remodelling rule together with the integration of a tissue differentiation algorithm is proposed. Such a mechanoregulation approach was tested using a finite element model of a uncemented femoral hip prosthesis under idealized bonding characteristics. Three stem materials (iso-elastic, titanium , and CoCrMo) were investigated and compared to previous numerical and clinical observations to corroborate the predictive power of the algorithms.