In Silico Medicine Approach to Predict Changes in Human Vertebrae Due to Osteoporosis and Treatment.

It is generally accepted that trabecular architecture plays a pivotal role in the mechanical behaviour of bone. With age, bone undergoes structural changes, which can result in osteoporosis, leading to life-threatening fractures, and inevitable decrease in the quality of life. While mathematical laws governing bone remodelling are under continued investigation, the aim of this project was to apply a simple in silico model to simulate changes in the bone architecture due to age, as previously reported in clinical studies. In addition, the effects of the current recommended treatments were investigated. Using high-resolution three-dimensional mu CT scans of whole human vertebrae, age-related bone loss and recovery simulation produced realistic simulations of structural change over 30 years.