Determination of Material Properties Related to Quantitative CT in Human Femoral Bone for Patient Specific Finite Element Analysis - A Comparison of Material Laws

Aim of this study was the determination of transverse-isotropic elastic properties of the human femoral d iaphysis and the evaluat ion of density-elasticity laws from literature with the acquired data. Five specimens of cortical bone were extracted from human cadaveric femora and mechanically tested via three point bending and compression tests, in order to determine the Young’s modulus in proximal-distal and in transverse direction respectively. Bone mineral density was determined via quantitative Computed Tomography for all samples and material properties were calculated according to the available regression laws from literature. Deviations of the calculated and experimentally determined Young’s moduli were analyzed. Some elasticity density laws showed good correlation to the acquired data in anterior-posterior direction, such as the law of Morgan et al. (2003) and the law of Carter & Hayes (1977). The results indicate high importance of an adequate determination of bone mineral density.