Form follows function: A computational simulation exercise on bone shape forming and conservation

Abstract

Two transformation laws of different complexity have been applied in a computer simulation study in order to investigate adaptation processes of bone-like structures under load pattern comparable to those acting on the diaphysis of long bones. It has been found that torsion along the long axis is important to the evolvement and maintenance of tube like structure, and that favoured such tube-like structures will emerge from a variety of starting geometries, provided that torsion along the long axis is present and certain parameters of the transformation algorithms are set appropriately. When outside this regime, mechano-adaption generated truss like structures are favoured. The mechanostat-like algorithms are able to explain flexure neutralization, the auto-correction of a long bone’s shape after poorly healed fractions in children. Asymmetric distribution of bending forces does not impact on the symmetry of favoured geometries. In conclusion, the present results demonstrate that the mechanical environment per se is able, at least in theory, to generate shaft-like structures.