Failure of Mineralized Collagen Microfibrils Using Finite Element Simulation Coupled to Mechanical Quasi-brittle Damage

TL;DR

This study employs a 3D finite element model coupled with quasi-brittle damage mechanics to analyze how mineralization and cross-linking affect the fracture behavior of collagen microfibrils, providing insights into bone failure mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a nano-scale finite element simulation incorporating damage mechanics to explore mineralized collagen microfibril fracture behavior, highlighting the roles of mineral density and cross-linking.

Findings

Number of cross-links influences fracture stress.

Mineral density significantly affects microfibril strength.

Results clarify bone fracture mechanisms at macro-scale.

Abstract

Bone is a multiscale heterogeneous materiel of which principal function is to support the body structure and to resist mechanical loading and fractures. Bone strength does not depend only on the quantity and quality of bone which is characterized by the geometry and the shape of bones but also on the mechanical proprieties of its compounds, which have a significant influence on its deformation and failure. This work aim to use a 3D nano-scale finite element model coupled to the concept of quasi-brittle damage with the behaviour law isotropic elasticity to investigate the fracture behaviour of composite materiel collagen-mineral (mineralized collagen microfibril). Fracture stress-number of cross-links and damping capacity-number of cross-links curves were obtained under tensile loading conditions at different densities of the mineral phase. The obtained results show that number of cross-links as well as the density of mineral has an important influence on the strength of microfibrils which in turn clarify the bone fracture at macro-scale.