About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Biological Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Mechanoadaptation of Trabecular Bone Across Locomotion Strategies: From Microstructure to Composite Design via Image-to-Mechanics Framework |
| Author(s) |
Ashish Ghimire, Zheng-Shun Su, Sandra J. Shefelbine, Shu-Wei Chang |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Ashish Ghimire |
| Abstract Scope |
Trabecular bone exhibits complex mechanoadaptation driven by long-term mechanical loading, yet the microstructural mechanisms governing this adaptation remain unclear. Here, we investigate femoral trabecular bone from four species with distinct locomotion strategies: quadrupedal runners (Blackbuck, Bay Duiker) and bipedal hoppers (Western Grey Kangaroo, Bennett’s Wallaby), to understand how internal architecture adapts to functional loading. High-resolution micro-CT data were used to extract over 250,000 trabecular microstructures, which were quantified using 23 geometric descriptors. Machine-learning classification achieved 96% accuracy, with trabecular orientation and thickness identified as primary indicators of locomotor adaptation. An image-to-mechanics framework was developed to evaluate local mechanical behavior from microstructural geometry, revealing that reduced angular variance and improved trabecular alignment, particularly in Bennett’s Wallaby, correspond to significant increases in stiffness, strength, and toughness. These results show that bone adapts primarily through microarchitectural reorganization under habitual loading, providing a quantitative pathway from trabecular mechanoadaptation to bioinspired composite design. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Mechanical Properties, Composites, Computational Materials Science & Engineering |