Multiscale modeling of cancellous bone considering full coupling of mechanical, electric and magnetic effects

Modeling of cancellous bone has important applications in the detection and treatment of fatigue fractures and diseases like osteoporosis. In this paper, we present a fully coupled multiscale approach considering mechanical, electric and magnetic effects by using the multiscale finite element method and a two-phase material model on the microscale. We show numerical results for both scales, including calculations for a femur bone, comparing a healthy bone to ones affected by different stages of osteoporosis. Here, the magnetic field strength resulting from a small mechanical impact decreases drastically for later stages of the disease, confirming experimental research.

Automated summary

This paper introduces a fully coupled multiscale approach for modeling cancellous bone, considering mechanical, electric and magnetic effects using the multiscale finite element method and a two-phase material model on the microscale. Numerical results show that the magnetic field strength resulting from a small mechanical impact differs significantly between bones affected by different stages of osteoporosis.