The in vivo tibial loading model in mice is increasingly used to study bone adaptation but the interaction between external loading and physiological loading in engendering bone changes have not been determined. Hence the aim of this work was to determine the effect of different applied loads on finite element predictions of bone adaptation.
Longitudinal micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging and in vivo loading were performed once every 2 weeks from weeks 18 to 22 of age, to quantify the shape change, remodelling, and changes in densitometric properties. Predictions of bone adaptation were performed under physiological loads, nominal 12N axial load and combined nominal 12N axial load superimposed to the physiological load, and compared to the experimental results.
Predictions of densitometric properties were most similar to the experimental data for combined loading, followed closely by physiological loading conditions. All predicted densitometric properties were significantly different for the 12N and the combined loading conditions. Spatial prediction of locations of bone remodelling were not significantly different from all three loading conditions. The results suggest the adaptive response of bone are in response to both passive mechanical loading and daily physiological load.
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