Relationship between mechanical properties of the tibia and its natural frequencies

A finite-element model of a dry human tibia has been developed to predict its natural frequencies of vibration. The differences between theoretical and experimental frequencies were principally due to the mechanical properties of bone and mass distribution. A factorial analysis has permitted the quantification of the significance of the main factors (such as Young´s modulus, density, Poisson´s ratio) and the interacting parameters affecting the tibia free dynamic response. Two adequate predictive linear models give the relationship between the first frequency and the mechanical properties of the tibia for both isotropic and anisotropic mechanical properties.<>