Numerical Simulation of Shock Wave Propagation in Fractured Cortical Bone

• Published in: 8th International Symposium on Therapeutic Ultrasound (AIP Conference Proceedings Volume 1113) Vol. 1113; pp. 185 - 189
• Main Authors: Padilla, Frederic, Cleveland, Robin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2009
• ISBN: 9780735406506; 0735406502
• ISSN: 0094-243X
• DOI: 10.1063/1.3131409

Shock waves (SW) are considered a promising method to treat bone non unions, but the associated mechanisms of action are not well understood. In this study, numerical simulations are used to quantify the stresses induced by SWs in cortical bone tissue. We use a 3D FDTD code to solve the linear lossless equations that describe wave propagation in solids and fluids. A 3D model of a fractured rat femur was obtained from micro-CT data with a resolution of 32 mum. The bone was subject to a plane SW pulse with a peak positive pressure of 40 MPa and peak negative pressure of -8 MPa. During the simulations the principal tensile stress and maximum shear stress were tracked throughout the bone. It was found that the simulated stresses in a transverse plane relative to the bone axis may reach values higher than the tensile and shear strength of the bone tissue (around 50 MPa). These results suggest that the stresses induced by the SW may be large enough to initiate local micro-fractures, which may in turn trigger the start of bone healing for the case of a non union.