Bone density and bone microarchitecture are two principle parameters needed for the evaluation of mechanical bone performance and consequently the detection of bone diseases. The mechanobiological behavior of the skeletal tissue has been described through several mathematical models. Generally, these models fingerboard different length scale processes, such as the mechanical, the biological, and the chemical ones. By means of the mechanical stimulus and the biological factors involved in tissue regeneration, bone cells’ behavior and bone volume changes are determined. The emergence of bone diseases leads to disrupt the bone remodeling process and thus, induces bone mechanical properties’ alteration. In the present chapter, an overview of bone diseases and their relationship with bone density alteration will be presented. Besides, several studies treating bone diseases’ effect on bone remodeling will be discussed. Finally, the mechanobiological models proposed to treat bone healing and drugs’ effect on bone, are going to be reviewed. For this sake, the chapter is subdivided into three main sequences: (i) Bone remodeling, (ii) Bone deterioration causes, (iii) Mathematical models of a pathological bone, and (iv) Mechanobiological models treating bone healing and drugs effect.
Part of the book: Biomechanics and Functional Tissue Engineering
Several diseases and medical treatments have been found to affect bone quality over decades. Bone mass characteristics summarized in bone mineral density (BMD), geometry, microarchitecture, and mechanical properties are the main parameters permitting to assess the quality of bone. Clinically, the diagnosis of bone diseases and the prediction of bone fracture are largely based on the BMD values. Thus, the investigation of how diseases and treatments alter the BMD value is primordial to anticipate additional treatment for the patient. In this chapter, we summarize the main research studies investigating diseases and treatments’ effects on bone quality and more specifically on BMD.
Part of the book: Biomechanical Insights into Osteoporosis [Working title]