Orthopaedic Biomechanics
Developing Computational Tools to Investigate
and Predict Bone Mechanical Behavior
Cancellous bone, otherwise known as trabecular or “spongy” bone, is found inside many bones in the body and is important for load-bearing. Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by a reduction in cancellous bone quantity, is associated with compromised load-bearing capacity of bones and increased risk of fracture. Osteoporosis primarily affects the aging population, and women are disproportionately affected with higher prevalence than men.
Besides cancellous bone quantity, material heterogeneity and architecture influence cancellous bone strength. Finite element models (FEMs) of cancellous bone obtained through non-invasive micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) have demonstrated the capacity to act as a virtual biopsy for investigating cancellous bone strength. Our lab aims to improve on this method by incorporating natural material heterogeneity in FEMs, and to use the refined models to predict the mechanical behavior of human cancellous bone.
Our findings will elucidate the utility of incorporating natural heterogeneity in these models, and will lay the groundwork for non-invasive monitoring of cancellous bone health using virtual bone biopsies. This work has the potential to extend beyond osteoporosis to other conditions which affect bone strength, such as diabetes and obesity.
The FE modeling process
Selected Publications & Presentations
- Cox JM, Musa DM, Cole JH (2025). A new quantitative index of trabecular bone microstructural organization and its association with tissue failure in human vertebrae. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 1-36. DOI: 10.1115/1.4070322. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 41204823.
- McGrath C, Cox JM, Little-Letsinger SE, Sen B, Xie Z, Styner MA, Zong X, Diekman BO, Pagnotti GM, Rubin J, Cole JH, Styner M. Sustained commitment to running elicits decreased bone effect during aging. Submitted to Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
- Cox JM, Smith JD, van der Meulen MCH, Cole JH. Heterogeneous tissue modulus improved prediction of mechanical behavior in osteoporotic vertebral cancellous bone. bioRxiv preprint. DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.30.470675. Resubmitted to Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials.
- Musa DM, Cox JM, Cole JH. “Finite element analysis of trabecular bone microstructure with passive joint loads following brachial plexus birth injury.” National Conference on Undergraduate Research, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Apr 13-15, 2023. (talk)
- Cox JM, Saul KR, Cole JH. “Trabecular plate-rod organization in rat models of brachial plexus birth injury: differential impacts by injury location.” North American Congress on Biomechanics, Ottawa, Canada, Aug 21-25, 2022. (poster)
- Cox JM, Cole JH. Structural organization index and its influence on trabecular bone yielding. Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL, Feb 4-8, 2022. Poster #1386.
- Cox JM, Musa DM, Cole JH. A new quantitative index of trabecular bone structural organization. Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL, Feb 4-8, 2022. Poster #1379.