Characterization of the femur mechanical properties under different mechanical solicitations: A finite element investigation

T. Kraiema, A. Barkaoui

Abstract: The femur, with its unique mechanical properties, is a complex living structure that provides support and stability in carrying out daily physiological activities. To date, numerous researchers employed finite element analysis (FEA) to predict the femur's experimental mechanical behaviour. Nevertheless, FEA requires particular attention for each step of the analysis, since any small details may greatly affect the final prediction of the femur's behaviour. The aim of this study was to develop an FEA that determines the femur mechanical behaviour under different mechanical loads, i.e. tensile, compression, bending, and torsion. The geometry of the femur was obtained from computed tomography (CT) scan. The material model of the femur was considered to be elastoplastic. Different simulations were developed to determine the mechanical behaviour of the femur under respectively tensile, compression, bending, and torsion loads. The results were then compared with other numerical and experimental results from the literature. This study gives the different mechanical properties found for the same femur subjected to different mechanical solicitations.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.36 No.3 (2022), 31-41
DOI:10.7546/SB.03.03.2022

Keywords: elasto-plastic behaviour; Femur; finite element model; mechanical properties; mechanical stimuli

Date published: 2022-11-01