Abstract
Finite element models (FEM) dedicated to vertebral fracture simulations rarely take into account the rate dependency of the bone material properties due to limited available data. This study aims to calibrate the mechanical properties of a vertebral body FEM using an inverse method based on experiments performed at slow and fast dynamic loading conditions. A detailed FEM of a human lumbar vertebral body (23,394 elements) was developed and tested under compression at 2,500 and 10 mm s−1. A central composite design was used to adjust the mechanical properties (Young modulus, yield stress, and yield strain) while optimizing four criteria (ultimate strain and stress of cortical and trabecular bone) until the failure load and energy at failure reached experimental results from the literature. At 2,500 mm s−1, results from the calibrated simulation were in good agreement with the average experimental data (1.5% difference for the failure load and 0.1% for the energy). At 10 mm s−1, they were in good agreement with the average experimental failure load (0.6% difference), and within one standard deviation of the reported range of energy to failure. The proposed method provides a relevant mean to identify the mechanical properties of the vertebral body in dynamic loadings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bosisio MR, Talmant M, Skalli W, Laugier P, Mitton D (2007) Apparent Young’s modulus of human radius using inverse finite-element method. J Biomech 40(9):2022–2028
Buckley JM, Loo K, Motherway J (2007) Comparison of quantitative computed tomography-based measures in predicting vertebral compressive strength. Bone 40(3):767–774
Burstein AH, Reilly DT, Martens M (1976) Aging of bone tissue: mechanical properties. J Bone Joint Surg Am 58(1):82–86
Chevalier Y, Charlebois M, Pahr D, VArga P, Heini P, Schneider E, Zysset P (2008) A patient-specific finite element methodology to predict damage accumulation in vertebral bodies under axial compression, sagittal flexion and combined loads. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng 11(5):477–487
Crawford RP, Cann CE, Keaveny TM (2003) Finite element models predict in vitro vertebral body compressive strength better than quantitative computed tomography. Bone 33(4):744–750
Edwards WT, Zheng Y, Ferrara LA, Yuan HA (2001) Structural features and thickness of the vertebral cortex in the thoracolumbar spine. Spine 26(2):218–225
El-Rich M, Arnoux PJ, Wagnac E, Brunet C, Aubin CE (2009) Finite element investigation of the loading rate effect on the spinal load-sharing changes under impact conditions. J Biomech 42(9):1252–1262
Eswaran SK, Gupta A, Keaveny TM (2007) Location of bone tissue at high risk of initial failure during compressive loading of a human vertebral body. Bone 41:733–739
Evans FG (1973) Factors affecting the mechanical properties of bone. Bull N Y Acad Med 49(9):751–764
Faulkner KG, Cann CE, Hasegawa BH (1991) Effect of bone distribution on vertebral strength: assessment with patient-specific nonlinear finite element analysis. Radiology 179(3):669–674
Ferguson SJ, Steffen T (2003) Biomechanics of the aging spine. Eur Spine J 12(2):S97–S103
Hansen U, Zioupos P, Simpson R, Currey JD, Hynd D (2008) The effect of strain rate on the mechanical properties of human cortical bone. J Biomech Eng 130(1):011011
Hongo M, Abe E, Shimada Y, Murai H, Ishikawa N, Sato K (1999) Surface strain distribution on thoracic and lumbar vertebrae under axial compression. The role in burst fracture. Spine 24:1197–1202
Jones AC, Wilcox RK (2008) Finite element analysis of the spine: towards a framework of verification, validation and sensitivity analysis. Med Eng Phys 30(10):1287–1304
Keaveny TM, Hayes WC (1993) A 20-year perspective on the mechanical properties of trabecular bone. J Biomech Eng 115(4B):534–542
Kopperdahl DL, Keaveny TM (1998) Yield strain behavior of trabecular bone. J Biomech 31(7):601–608
Liebschner MA, Kopperdahl DL, Rosenberg WS, Keaveny TM (2003) Finite element modeling of the human thoracolumbar spine. Spine 28(6):559–565
Linde F, Nørgaard P, Hvid I, Odgaard A, Søballe K (1991) Mechanical properties of trabecular bone. Dependency on strain rate. J Biomech 24(9):803–809
McBroom RJ, Hayes WC, Edwards WT, Goldberg RP, White AA (1985) Prediction of vertebral body compressive fracture using quantitative computed tomography. J Bone Joint Surg Am 67(8):1206–1228
McElhaney JH (1966) Dynamic response of bone and muscle tissue. J Appl Physiol 21(4):1231–1236
Mirzaei M, Zeinali A, Razmjoo A, Nazemi M (2009) On prediction of the strength levels and failure patterns of human vertebrae using quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based finite element method. J Biomech 42(11):1584–1591
Montgomery DC (2001) Design and analysis of experiment. Wiley, New York
Mosekilde L, Mosekilde L, Danielsen CC (1987) Biomechanical competence of vertebral trabecular bone in relation to ash density and age in normal individuals. Bone 8(2):79–85
NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook of Statistical Methods. http://www.itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/. Accessed 2010
Ochia RS, Tencer AF, Ching RP (2003) Effect of loading rate on endplate and vertebral body strength in human lumbar vertebrae. J Biomech 36(12):1875–1881
Odin G, Savoldelli C, Bouchard PO, Tillier Y (2010) Determination of Young’s modulus of mandibular bone using inverse analysis. Med Eng Phys 32:630–637
Qiu TX, Tan KW, Lee VS, Teo EC (2006) Investigation of thoracolumbar T12–L1 burst fracture mechanism using finite element method. Med Eng Phys 28(7):656–664
Reilly DT, Burstein AH (1974) Review article. The mechanical properties of cortical bone. J Bone Joint Surg Am 56(5):1001–1022
Rockoff SD, Sweet E, Bleustein J (1969) The relative contribution of trabecular and cortical bone to the strength of human lumbar vertebrae. Calcif Tissue Res 3:163–175
Shim VPW, Yang LM, Liu JF, Lee VS (2005) Characterisation of the dynamic compressive mechanical properties of cancellous bone from the human cervical spine. Int J Impact Eng 32(1–4):525–540
Silva MJ, Keaveny TM, Hayes WC (1997) Load sharing between the shell and centrum in the lumbar vertebral body. Spine 22(2):140–150
Stokes IA, Chegini S, Ferguson SJ, Gardner-Morse MG, Iatridis JC, Laible JP (2010) Limitation of finite element analysis of poroelastic behavior of biological tissues undergoing rapid loading. Ann Biomed Eng 38(5):1780–1788
Wall JC, Chatterji S, Jeffery JW (1970) On the origin of scatter in results of human bone strength tests. Med Biol Eng 8(2):171–180
Wilcox RK, Allen DJ, Hall RM, Limb D, Barton DC, Dickson RA (2004) A dynamic investigation of the burst fracture process using a combined experimental and finite element approach. Eur Spine J 13(6):481–488
Wirtz DC, Schiffers N, Pandorf T, Radermacher K, Weichert D, Forst R (2000) Critical evaluation of known bone material properties to realize anisotropic FE-simulation of the proximal femur. J Biomech 33(10):1325–1330
Yamada H (1970) Strength of biological materials. The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by NSERC (Canada) and INRETS (France).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garo, A., Arnoux, P.J., Wagnac, E. et al. Calibration of the mechanical properties in a finite element model of a lumbar vertebra under dynamic compression up to failure. Med Biol Eng Comput 49, 1371–1379 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-011-0826-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-011-0826-z