Automated Finite Element Analysis of Excised Human Femora Based on Precision-QCT

The creation of 3-D finite element (FE) models of bone and implant-bone systems is a labor-intensive task due to the need to model different cases and variations, to perform patch tests and to account for the nonhomogeneous material properties with an acceptable amount of work. In this study, we developed an interface between a precision QCT and a FE system and applied it to a specimen bone. With the new method, the time necessary for model generation was reduced substantially. Furthermore, the elastic properties for each element were automatically derived from the corresponding CT-values. In order to demonstrate the importance of taking into account inhomogeneity, a comparison between the nonhomogeneous model and a homogeneous, "averaged" model was performed.