Rik Huiskes and Margriet Mullender
Biomechanics Section, Orthopaedic Department, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
(Received April 17, 1996; Accepted November 11, 1996)
Keywords: Bone Remodeling, Bone Morphogenesis, Computer Simulation, Bone Mechanics, Wolff's Law
Abstract. The issue is what we have learned about mechanical control of cancellous bone architecture from finite element models of bone remodeling (HART and FRITTON, 1997). It is argued here that these analytical tools have not taught us anything about bone, but much about our conception of it. Paradigms about bone remodeling are exciting food for thought and discussion, but they are inherently vague. Representing our theories in regulatory models forces us to think about the potential physiological control mechanisms and specify their parameters in a strict sense. In simulation studies we can cheek whether the paradigms are viable propositions. When this is the case, exciting scientific questions can be specified.