Advancing Osteoporosis Evaluation Procedures: Detailed Computational Analysis of Regional Structural Vulnerabilities in Osteoporotic Bone

J Pers Med. 2023 Feb 13;13(2):321. doi: 10.3390/jpm13020321.

Abstract

Osteoporotic fractures of the femur are associated with poor healing, disability, reduced quality of life, and high mortality rates within 1 year. Moreover, osteoporotic fractures of the femur are still considered to be an unsolved problem in orthopedic surgery. In order to more effectively identify osteoporosis-related fracture risk and develop advanced treatment approaches for femur fractures, it is necessary to acquire a greater understanding of how osteoporosis alters the diaphyseal structure and biomechanical characteristics. The current investigation uses computational analyses to comprehensively examine how femur structure and its associated properties differ between healthy and osteoporotic bones. The results indicate statistically significant differences in multiple geometric properties between healthy femurs and osteoporotic femurs. Additionally, localized disparities in the geometric properties are evident. Overall, this approach will be beneficial in the development of new diagnostic procedures for highly detailed patient-specific detection of fracture risk, for establishing novel injury prevention treatments, and for informing advanced surgical solutions.

Keywords: biomechanics; computational analysis; diagnostic methods; fracture prevention; patient-specific; personalized medicine.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.