Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 27
In Vivo Validation of Predictive Models for Bone
Remodeling and Mechanobiology
Alina Levchuk and Ralph Müller
Abstract
In silico
modeling is a powerful tool for the prediction of bone remodel-
ing and mechanobiology. As the method is gaining popularity a standardized mea-
sure for the
in vivo
validation of the quality of the produced simulations is required.
In this review, we discuss current validity assessment approaches, as well as the
validation 'gold standard', in which the experimental and computational parts are
carried out concomitantly, and by the same research team. A novel validation frame-
work for the tissue level model, based on the true geometry is introduced.
27.1 Introduction
Our understanding of bone remodeling and its governing mechanisms has come a
long way since the first attempts to explain these complex processes (Roux,
1881
;
Wolff,
1892
). In fact, it is now often left to the biologists to characterize the elabo-
rate signaling processes in bone, while a new branch of computational biomechanics
has emerged, with the focus on creating realistic models of these biological events.
In silico
modeling, supported by experimental investigations, is a powerful tool that
allows translation of biological phenomena into mathematical laws, thus facilitat-
ing detailed analyses of distinct biological processes. The true value of
in silico
modeling is, however, in its predictive power, which, if close enough to the
in vivo
events can not only save large efforts in the experimental domain both resource and
time wise, but also introduce treatment prediction options in clinics, thus improving
therapeutic outcomes.
The transition from theoretical modeling to
in silico
simulations required a ma-
jor improvement in the available computational capabilities. The advent of the finite
element (FE) analysis in the second part of the 20th century has become such a
breakthrough for the field of biomechanics. The first published investigation, which
A. Levchuk
·
R. Müller (
