Automated patient-specific method for biomechanical analysis of bone

A computer-implemented method for providing FEA analysis of at least a portion of at least one bone in a patient, said method comprising:

• a. providing at least one image of at least a portion of said bone;
• b. calculating material properties of said bone as a function of 3D position within said bone from density of said bone as a function of 3D position within said bone via empirically-determined material properties correlated to density, said density determined from at least one property of said image of said bone;
• c. generating an analyzable model using steps of:
• i. generating by an automatic algorithm from said image a solid model of said at least a portion of said at least one bone by steps of:
• identifying the boundaries of said bone in said image, said boundary identification via edge detection software;
• smoothing said boundaries;
• generating a point cloud model of said boundaries;
• generating spline curves through points in said point cloud;
• and generating a solid model through said spline curves;
• ii. automatically generating, from said solid model, a FE mesh of said at least a portion of said at least one bone, said FEs being p FEs (p-FE) having smooth surfaces;
• iii. applying a noise reduction algorithm by boundary correction and moving average for each said FE in said p-FE mesh;
• iv. for each said FE in said p-FE mesh, setting said material properties of said FE according to said material properties of said bone at said 3D position;
• v. applying boundary conditions to at least one said FE in said FE mesh;
• d. solving said analyzable model, thereby generating a solved model;
• and
• e. providing to a user at least one result from said solved model
• wherein said steps of providing said bone image ensure that said solved model is patient-specific;
• further wherein said steps of generating said point cloud and generating said spline curves enable the surface of said solid model to be smooth, thereby enabling the surface of said FE model to be smooth, and further wherein said steps of generating said FE mesh of p-FE enable said FEs to have heterogeneous material properties, thereby reducing the number of FEs in said FE mesh.

A computer-implemented system for providing FEA analysis of at least a portion of at least one bone in a patient, said system comprising:

• a. at least one processor adapted to:
• i. input an image of at least a portion of at least one bone in a patient;
• ii. calculate material properties of said bone as a function of 3D position within said bone from density of said bone as a function of 3D position within said bone via empirically-determined inhomogeneous isotropic material properties correlated to density, said density determined from at least one property of said image of said bone;
• iii. generate an analyzable model, said generation comprising:
• 1. generation by an automatic algorithm, from said image, of a solid model of said at least a portion of said at least one bone by identifying the boundaries of said bone in said image, said boundary identification via edge detection software;
• smoothing said boundaries;
• creating a point cloud model of said boundaries;
• generating spline curves through points in said point cloud;
• and generating a solid model through said spline curves;
• 2. automatic generation, from said solid model, of a FE mesh of said at least a portion of said at least one bone, said FEs being p FEs (p-FE);
• 3. for each said FE in said p-FE mesh, setting of said material properties of said FE according to said material properties of said bone at said 3D position;
• and
• 4. application of at least one member of a group consisting of loads and constraints to at least one said FE in said FE mesh;
• iv. solve said analyzable model, thereby generating a solved model;
• and
• b. a means of providing to a user at least one result from said solved model wherein said bone image enables said solved model to be patient-specific;
• further wherein said point cloud and spline curves enable the surface of said solid model to be smooth, and further wherein said use of said p-FEs enables said FEs to have heterogeneous material properties and reduce the number of FEs in said FE mesh.