Anisotropic finite element modeling for patient-specific mandible

This paper presents an ad hoc modular software tool to quasi-automatically generate patient-specific three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the human mandible. The main task is taking into account the complex geometry of the individual mandible, as well as the inherent highly anisotropic material law. At first, by computed tomography data (CT), the individual geometry of the complete range of mandible was well reproduced, also the separation between cortical and cancellous bone. Then, taking advantage of the inherent shape nature as 'curve' long bone, the algorithm employed a pair of B-spline curves running along the entire upper and lower mandible borders as auxiliary baselines, whose directions are also compatible with that of the trajectory of maximum material stiffness throughout the cortical bone of the mandible. And under the guidance of this pair of auxiliary baselines, a sequence of B-spline surfaces were interpolated adaptively as curve cross-sections to cut the original geometry. Following, based on the produced curve contours and the corresponding curve cross-section surfaces, quite well structured FE volume meshes were constructed, as well as the inherent trajectory vector fields of the anisotropic material (orthotropic for cortical bone and transversely isotropic for cancellous bone). Finally, a sensitivity analysis comprising various 3D FE simulations was carried out to reveal the relevance of elastic anisotropy for the load carrying behavior of the mandible.