Geometric modeling and analysis of bone micro-structures as a base for scaffold design

Bones consist of hierarchical bio-composite materials arranged in multiscale structural geometry. This structure is vulnerable to various damaging factors such as accidents, medical operations and diseases that may cause its degradation. Imaging techniques can already provide highly detailed micro-features of a bone or even its complete volumetric micro-structure. A three-dimensional model of the bone can then be reconstructed and analyzed. However, current technology cannot precisely fix damaged bone tissue and can only roughly approximate such damaged structures by using scaffolds with standard geometry. This chapter proposes a new method for creating natural scaffolds that can adapt according to location, size and shape. The method is based on constructing the scaffold as a 3D volumetric texture that imitates the irregular textural behavior of its surroundings. The method has the ability to create a smooth and continuous structure according to topological and geometrical characteristics. Moreover, the texture captures the stochastic and porous nature of the bone micro-structure. The resulting scaffold texture is tested by applying mechanical analysis to the new synthesized structure, thus controlling the mechanical properties of the reconstructed bone. We believe our method will help in customizing the design and fabrication of scaffolds for bone micro-structures. Moreover, such scaffolds can facilitate the process of rehabilitating damaged bone.