Download this article
 Download this article For screen
For printing
Recent Issues
Volume 13, Issue 3
Volume 13, Issue 2
Volume 13, Issue 1
Volume 12, Issue 4
Volume 12, Issue 3
Volume 12, Issue 2
Volume 12, Issue 1
Volume 11, Issue 4
Volume 11, Issue 3
Volume 11, Issue 2
Volume 11, Issue 1
Volume 10, Issue 4
Volume 10, Issue 3
Volume 10, Issue 2
Volume 10, Issue 1
Volume 9, Issue 4
Volume 9, Issue 3
Volume 9, Issue 2
Volume 9, Issue 1
Volume 8, Issue 4
Volume 8, Issue 3
Volume 8, Issue 2
Volume 8, Issue 1
Volume 7, Issue 4
Volume 7, Issue 3
Volume 7, Issue 2
Volume 7, Issue 1
Volume 6, Issue 4
Volume 6, Issue 3
Volume 6, Issue 2
Volume 6, Issue 1
Volume 5, Issue 3-4
Volume 5, Issue 2
Volume 5, Issue 1
Volume 4, Issue 3-4
Volume 4, Issue 2
Volume 4, Issue 1
Volume 3, Issue 4
Volume 3, Issue 3
Volume 3, Issue 2
Volume 3, Issue 1
Volume 2, Issue 2
Volume 2, Issue 1
Volume 1, Issue 2
Volume 1, Issue 1
The Journal
About the journal
Ethics and policies
Peer-review process
 
Submission guidelines
Submission form
Editorial board
 
Subscriptions
 
ISSN 2325-3444 (online)
ISSN 2326-7186 (print)
 
Author index
To appear
 
Other MSP journals
A bi-dimensional model bridging microdamage evolution and bone remodeling: a computational study on a human femur

Rachele Allena, Daria Scerrato, Alberto Maria Bersani and Ivan Giorgio

Vol. 13 (2025), No. 3, 347–376
DOI: 10.2140/memocs.2025.13.347
Abstract

Bone remodeling is a complex biological process that maintains skeletal integrity through adaptation to mechanical and biochemical stimuli. This study introduces a novel two-dimensional model designed to analyze the interaction between bone remodeling and damage evolution within a realistic femur geometry. The proposed methodology considers spatial variations in strain distribution and damage accumulation. The model augments a diffusion-based remodeling framework by incorporating damage evolution laws to predict microdamage progression, healing mechanisms, and biomechanical adaptation. Numerical simulations explore the impact of key parameters, including the diffusion of remodeling stimulus, damage accumulation, and healing rates. The results indicate that optimal remodeling occurs when stimulus diffusion is neither excessively rapid nor overly localized, identifying the femoral neck as a high-risk area for structural degradation. The findings provide clinically relevant information on fracture risk assessment, osteoporosis progression, and implant design optimization. Future investigations will aim to extend the model to three dimensions and include patient-specific anatomical characteristics to improve predictive capabilities.

Keywords
bone remodeling, damage-informed remodeling, stimulus diffusion, microdamage evolution, mechanobiology
Mathematical Subject Classification
Primary: 74-10
Milestones
Received: 14 May 2025
Revised: 3 June 2025
Accepted: 19 June 2025
Published: 6 September 2025

Communicated by Emilio Barchiesi
Authors
Rachele Allena
Laboratoire Jean Alexandre Dieudonné UMR CNRS 7351
Université Côte d’Azur
06100 Nice France
Institut Universitaire de France
Daria Scerrato
International Research Center on Mathematics and Mechanics of Complex Systems (M&MoCS)
Università degli studi dell’Aquila
67100 L’Aquila
Italy
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica e Aerospaziale (DIMA)
Università di Roma “La Sapienza”
00161 Rome
Italy
Alberto Maria Bersani
International Research Center on Mathematics and Mechanics of Complex Systems (M&MoCS)
Università degli studi dell’Aquila
67100 L’Aquila
Italy
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica e Aerospaziale (DIMA)
Università di Roma “La Sapienza”
00161 Rome
Italy
Gruppo Nazionale per la Fisica Matematica (GNFM)
Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica (INdAM)
Italy
Ivan Giorgio
International Research Center on Mathematics and Mechanics of Complex Systems (M&MoCS)
and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile-Architettura e Ambientale (DICEAA)
Università degli studi dell’Aquila
67100 L’Aquila
Italy
Gruppo Nazionale per la Fisica Matematica (GNFM)
Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica (INdAM)
Italy