Morphological models of trabecular bone suitable for high-porosity regions and vertebrae

Abstract

The complex microarchitecture of trabecular bone makes it difficult to perform computational analyses on the real structure. Researchers have often resorted to using morphological idealizations employing simplified geometries. One such idealized structure, based on the gyroid, was found to mimic trabecular bone well. However, structures generated using the basic gyroid equation manifested discontinuities at high porosities. Another disadvantage of the gyroid is that it cannot model vertebral trabecular bone, which generally resembles cubic cells. To address these two shortcomings, we describe: (i) a modified structure based on the skeletal gyroid, which remains connected even at extremely high porosities, (ii) a cubic grid-like structure, based on the primitive minimal surface, for studying vertebrae.

Keywords:

• Trabecular bone
• idealization
• minimal surface
• gyroid
• high porosity
• vertebral bone