Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

An Efficient Method Of Modeling Material Properties Using A Thermal Diffusion Analogy: An Example Based On Craniofacial Bone, Ian Grosse, Julian L. Davis, Elizabeth R. Dumont, David S S. Strait

Ian Grosse

The ability to incorporate detailed geometry into finite element models has allowed researchers to investigate the influence of morphology on performance aspects of skeletal components. This advance has also allowed researchers to explore the effect of different material models, ranging from simple (e.g., isotropic) to complex (e.g., orthotropic), on the response of bone. However, bone's complicated geometry makes it difficult to incorporate complex material models into finite element models of bone. This difficulty is due to variation in the spatial orientation of material properties throughout bone. Our analysis addresses this problem by taking full advantage of a finite element program's …