3d Dxa-based Patient-specific Femur Finite Element Model for Classification of Fracture and Non-fracture Cases

Introduction Osteoporotic bone fractures lead to weighty losses of independence and quality of life, and to increased mortality in women [1]. Minimally irradiating image techniques such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) provide assessment of bone loss through the bone mineral density (BMD). Yet, fracture risk predictions remain limited with 30 to 40% of error [2]. Recently, the 3D-DXA algorithm was proposed to extract the 3D geometry and analyse the trabecular and cortical BMD of the proximal femur [3]. This study hypothesizes that such technology can benefit from finite element (FE)-based biomechanical analyses to define classification criteria that integrate anatomical, bone quality and mechanical patient information.