Cellular architecture effects on the mechanical response of cancellous bone

Cellular architecture effects on the mechanical response of cancellous bone. Car manufacturers use virtual human models in order to ensure the passengers safety during crash events. To improve the bio-fidelity of these models, we propose to identify the mechanical behaviour of bone tissues, and more particularly of the cancellous bone. After scanning cancellous bone samples with micro computed tomography, compression tests have been performed. The inter and intra-individual variabilities have been studied in order to minimise the results dispersions. Numerical models (taking into account the real architecture of this tissue) have been generated from the data coming from ACT in order to study the effects of architectural parameters on the mechanical behaviour of the cancellous bone. The experimental and numerical results show the need to take into account the inter and intra-individual variabilities in order to identify the mechanical behaviour of the trabecular bone. If the relative density could explain the mechanical dispersions observed, the relationship established could not explain the different behaviour observed between various loading directions.