Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme
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AKB: Biologische Physik
AKB 50: Poster Session "Biological Physics"
AKB 50.21: Poster
Friday, March 12, 2004, 10:30–13:00, B
Structure control in living bone — •Markus A. Hartmann1, Richard Weinkamer1, Yves Brechet2, and Peter Fratzl1 — 1Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Dept. of Biomaterials, 14476 Potsdam, Germany — 2Laboratory of Thermodynamics and Metallurgical Physico-Chemistry/ENSEEG, Grenoble, France
Living bone is an example of a biological system, where the structure is reacting to mechanical load and controlled by a biological feedback loop. Specialised cells form new bone where the mechanical stimulus is high and others dissolve it, where the stimulus is low (Wolff-Roux law). We use a lattice model and a simple mechanical procedure to evaluate local stresses to study trabecular bone remodelling in a human vertebra. Starting from a homogenous, isotropic configuration, a network-like structure emerges, with struts mainly in vertical and horizontal directions resembling natural bone. With time, the bone volume fraction reaches a steady state value independent of initial conditions, while some struts thicken at the expense of others (coarsening) favouring the vertical main loading direction. Our simulations provide a mechanistic explanation for some features typically observed in ageing and disease.