Numerical Modeling of Mandibular Bone Remodeling with Regional Calibration of the Adaptation Parameter

A mechanoregulatory numerical model of mandibular bone remodeling was proposed. The model incorporated regional calibration of the adaptation parameter in the Huiskes–Weinans remodeling law across 16 anatomical regions (eight cancellous and eight cortical) located near the first molar, as well as density saturation functions and a weighted mechanical stimulus derived from four chewing load cases. The reference material density and geometry of the mandible were determined from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) data obtained from a single patient with preserved dentition. Agreement of 23 model variants with the reference density was evaluated using the mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and mean signed error (Bias). For the selected variant 18 (cancellous and cortical bone, respectively), these measures were as follows: MAE = 0.109 g·cm−3 and 0.200 g·cm−3, MAPE ≈ 10.9% and 12.7%, and Bias = +0.006 g·cm−3 and +0.038 g·cm−3. Regional calibration of the adaptation parameter (variant 13) reduced the MAE by approximately 64% for cancellous bone and 56% for cortical bone compared with the regionally uncalibrated model. Regional calibration was the predominant factor improving agreement in this patient-specific model; because the same CBCT data were used for calibration and evaluation, this agreement does not constitute an independent validation.