Numerical modelling of the evolution of the architecture of trabecular bone: damage accumulation and failure

A simulation of the evolution of the trabecular bone structure with age is presented. The particular case of osteoporosis, a common disease in which the accumulation of damage may result in early bone fracture, is examined. The numerical simulation of this phenomenon makes use of a two-dimensional representation of the cellular microarchitecture of the bone, with simple local laws governing the local rates of evolution. The evolution with age …