Trabecular Bone Elastic Properties Depend On μMRI-Derived Measures of Bone Volume Fraction & Fabric

Michael J. Wald¹, Chamith S. Rajapakse¹, Jeremy F. Magland¹, Felix W. Wehrli¹

Even though bone volume fraction is predictive of bone strength, the variation in mechanical properties with test direction requires inclusion of measures of structural orientation. Here, we examine whether the inclusion of trabecular bone fabric can improve the bone volume fraction-based prediction of the elastic constants derived from linear μFE analysis of μMR images of the distal tibia in specimens and live subjects. A strong power-law dependence of elastic moduli with bone volume fraction was observed, however the exponents depended on test direction and anatomical location. Inclusion of fabric information establishes a general model of the elastic constants independent of anatomical location and test direction.