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
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