Journal
BIOMECHANICS AND MODELING IN MECHANOBIOLOGY
Volume 14, Issue 2, Pages 427-432Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s10237-014-0602-8
Keywords
Bone form-function relationship; Hip-joint loading patterns; Bone/fossil microstructure; Locomotion; Micro-computed tomography; Micro-finite element modelling
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Funding
- VPHOP WP5 group
- European Union [VPHOP FP7-ICT2008-223865]
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It is well known that bone adapts its microstructure in response to loading. Based on this form-follows-function relationship, we previously developed a reverse approach to derive joint loads from bone microstructure as acquired with micro-computed tomography. Here, we challenge this approach by calculating hip-joint loading patterns for human and dog, two species exhibiting different locomotion, and comparing them to in vivo measurements. As a proof of concept to use the approach also for extinct taxa, we applied it to a cave lion fossil bone. Calculations were in close agreement with in vivo measurements during walking for extant species, showing distinguished patterns for bipedalism and quadrupedalism. The cave lion calculations clearly revealed its quadrupedal locomotion and suggested a more diverse behaviour compared to the dog, which is in agreement with extant felids. This indicates that our novel approach is potentially useful for making inferences about locomotion in living as well as extinct mammals and to study evolutionary joint development.
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