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<p>Trabecular bone, as the porous core of the skeletal system, plays a crucial role in load-bearing and orthopedic implant fixation. Age-related osteoporosis and micro-fissures significantly increase its fracture risk, posing severe public health challenges. However, traditional experimental studies fail to capture micro-damage details such as collagen fiber rupture and mineral particle detachment, while conventional numerical methods exhibit inherent limitations in simulating complex fracture behaviors. To address these gaps, this study employed the discrete element method (DEM) combined with the parallel bond model (PBM) to establish meshless trabecular bone models with varying porosities (<i>p</i> = 11–15%) and prefabricated fissure inclination angles (<i>α</i> = 0°–60°). Three-point bending simulations were conducted to systematically investigate the progressive failure process and underlying fracture mechanisms. The results revealed that porosity and fissure inclination angle synergistically regulate crack initiation, propagation, and failure modes of trabecular bone: (1) At low porosity (<i>p</i> = 11%), stress concentrates symmetrically at the bottom center, resulting in a "central initiation-vertical propagation" fracture mode. As porosity increases to 13% and above, microstructural continuity deteriorates, stress concentration becomes dispersed, and cracks follow an "offset initiation-curved propagation" pattern due to pore-induced stress path deflection. (2) For vertical fissures (<i>α</i> = 0°), unidirectional stress concentration at the fissure tip results in "tip initiation-linear propagation"; for inclined fissures (<i>α</i> = 15°–45°), shear-tensile composite stress triggers "tip initiation-path deflection"; for large-angle fissures (<i>α</i> = 60°), the tip falls into a "stress shadow area," and cracks switch to "middle initiation-directional extension." Notably, DEM offers unique advantages in capturing micro-damage evolution and simulating complex fracture behaviors, thereby complementing the limitations of traditional experiments and conventional numerical methods. This study provides novel mechanistic insights into trabecular bone failure, offering a theoretical basis for osteoporotic fracture risk assessment and orthopedic implant optimization, and validating the application potential of DEM in biomechanical research.</p>

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Porosity and Fissure Inclination Co-regulated Trabecular Bone Failure: A DEM-Based Meso-scale Analysis of Crack Initiation, Propagation, and Mechanism

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月7日

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  • Runyu Liu,
  • Yifei Li,
  • Xianzheng Zhu,
  • Shuyang Yu

摘要

Trabecular bone, as the porous core of the skeletal system, plays a crucial role in load-bearing and orthopedic implant fixation. Age-related osteoporosis and micro-fissures significantly increase its fracture risk, posing severe public health challenges. However, traditional experimental studies fail to capture micro-damage details such as collagen fiber rupture and mineral particle detachment, while conventional numerical methods exhibit inherent limitations in simulating complex fracture behaviors. To address these gaps, this study employed the discrete element method (DEM) combined with the parallel bond model (PBM) to establish meshless trabecular bone models with varying porosities (p = 11–15%) and prefabricated fissure inclination angles (α = 0°–60°). Three-point bending simulations were conducted to systematically investigate the progressive failure process and underlying fracture mechanisms. The results revealed that porosity and fissure inclination angle synergistically regulate crack initiation, propagation, and failure modes of trabecular bone: (1) At low porosity (p = 11%), stress concentrates symmetrically at the bottom center, resulting in a "central initiation-vertical propagation" fracture mode. As porosity increases to 13% and above, microstructural continuity deteriorates, stress concentration becomes dispersed, and cracks follow an "offset initiation-curved propagation" pattern due to pore-induced stress path deflection. (2) For vertical fissures (α = 0°), unidirectional stress concentration at the fissure tip results in "tip initiation-linear propagation"; for inclined fissures (α = 15°–45°), shear-tensile composite stress triggers "tip initiation-path deflection"; for large-angle fissures (α = 60°), the tip falls into a "stress shadow area," and cracks switch to "middle initiation-directional extension." Notably, DEM offers unique advantages in capturing micro-damage evolution and simulating complex fracture behaviors, thereby complementing the limitations of traditional experiments and conventional numerical methods. This study provides novel mechanistic insights into trabecular bone failure, offering a theoretical basis for osteoporotic fracture risk assessment and orthopedic implant optimization, and validating the application potential of DEM in biomechanical research.