A combined finite element method and continuum damage mechanics approach to simulate the in vitro fatigue behavior of human cortical bone.

The fatigue of bone, in particular the associated modulus degradation and accumulation of permanent strain, has been implicated as the cause of femoral neck fractures and the migration of total joint replacements. The objective of this study was to develop a technique to simulate the tensile fatigue behavior of human cortical bone. A combined continuum damage mechanics (CDM) and finite element analysis (FEA) approach was used to predict the number of cycles to failure, modulus degradation and accumulation of permanent strain of human cortical bone specimens. The simulation of fatigue testing of eight dumb-bell specimens of cortical bone were performed and the predictions compared with existing experimental data. The predictions from the finite element models were in close agreement with the experimental data. The models predicted similar development of modulus degradation and permanent strain as observed in the experimental tests. The technique is capable of predicting the accumulation of permanent strain without the need for simulating every single load step. These findings suggest that the complex fatigue behavior of human cortical bone can be simulated using the described approach and forms the first step for simulating the more complex mechanisms associated with femoral neck fractures and implant migration.