Drained and Undrained Poroelastic Properties of Healthy and Pathological Bone: A Poro-Micromechanical Investigation

Poro-micromechanics allows for the quantification of poroelastic properties such as the Biot and Skempton coefficients, once a continuum micromechanics model for the material under consideration has been developed and validated. Employing such a model for the transversely isotropic elasticity of cortical and trabecular bone, we determine the tensors of Biot and Skempton coefficients as functions of the volume fractions of mineral, collagen, and the micropore space (Haversian and Volkmann canals, and the inter-trabecular space). Increase of microporosity, as experienced in osteoporosis, as well as decrease of mineral content, as experienced in osteomalacia, lead to an increase of Biot and Skempton coefficients, i. e. to magnification of the mechanical role of the marrow filling the micropore space. For quantification of the marrow pressure rise upon downfall, undrained conditions are appropriate, as can be shown by model predictions of non-destructive impact experiments.     

The constitutive equations of finite strain poroelasticity in the light of a micro-macro approach

After recalling the constitutive equations of finite strain poroelasticity formulated at the macroscopic level, we adopt a microscopic point of view which consists of describing the fluid-saturated porous medium at a space scale on which the fluid and solid phases are geometrically distinct. The constitutive equations of poroelasticity are recovered from the analysis conducted on a representative elementary volume of porous material open to fluid mass exchange. The procedure relies upon the solution of a boundary value problem defined on the solid domain of the representative volume undergoing large elastic strains. The macroscopic potential, computed as the integral of the free energy density over the solid domain, is shown to depend on the macroscopic deformation gradient and the porous space volume as relevant variables. The corresponding stress-type variables obtained through the differentiation of this potential turn out to be the macroscopic Boussinesq stress tensor and the pore pressure. Furthermore, such a procedure makes it possible to establish the necessary and sufficient conditions to ensure the validity of an ‘effective stress’ formulation of the constitutive equations of finite strain poroelasticity. Such conditions are notably satisfied in the important case of an incompressible solid matrix.     

Deformation and stress from in-pore drying-induced crystallization of salt

The deformation and the fracture of porous solids from internal crystallization of salt is explored in the framework of the thermodynamics of unsaturated brittle poroelasticity. In the first place the usual theory of crystal growth in confined conditions is further developed in order to include both the deformation and the drying of the porous solid. The thermodynamics reveals the existence of a dilation coefficient associated with the crystallization process, and provides a solute-crystal equilibrium condition which involves the relative humidity, the supersaturation, and the salt characteristics. This thermodynamic condition and the mechanical equilibrium of the solution-crystal interface combine to give the current crystallization pore radius. Upscaling this information at the macroscopic scale, and taking into account the salt mass supplied by the invading solution, the approach leads to a quantitative analysis of the role of the pore size distribution on the crystal growth under repeated imbibition-drying cycles. The deformation and the fracture of the porous solid from drying-induced crystallization are then considered in the context of brittle poroelasticity. The current unsaturated macroscopic poroelastic properties are upscaled from the microscopic elastic properties of the solid matrix and from the current liquid, crystal and gas saturations. The adoption of a fracture criterion based on the elastic energy that the solid matrix can ultimately store finally leads to the determination of how long a stone can resist repeated cycles of drying-induced crystallization of salt.     

一种骨小管中液体流动产生的流量及切应力模型

骨组织受力变形后其内部液体就会流动,同时在其微观结构——骨单元壁中扩散,并进一步产生一系列与骨液流动相关的物理效应,如流体剪切应力、流动电位等,这些物理效应被细胞感知并做出破骨或成骨等反应,来使骨适应外部载荷环境.鉴于骨组织产生的内部液体流动很难实验测定,理论模拟是目前的主要研究手段.基于骨单元的多孔弹性性质建立了骨小管内部液体的流动模型,该模型将骨单元所受的外部载荷与骨小管内部液体的压力、流速、流量和切应力联系起来,并进一步可以研究其力传导与力电传导机制.骨小管模型的建立分别基于中空和考虑哈弗液体的骨单元模型,并考虑了骨单元外壁的弹性约束和刚性位移约束两种边界条件.最终得到骨单元在外部轴向载荷作用下,骨小管内部液体的流量及流体切应力的解析解.结果表明:骨小管中的液体流量与流体切应力都正比于应变载荷幅值和频率,并由载荷的应变率决定.因此应变率可以作为控制流量和流体切应力的一种生理载荷因素.流量随着骨小管半径的增大而非线性增大,而流体切应力则随着骨小管半径的增大而线性增大.此外,在相同的载荷下,含哈弗液体的骨单元的模型中,骨小管中液体的流量和切应力均大于中空骨单元模型.     

An analytical poroelastic model for laboratorial mechanical testing of the articular cartilage (AC)

The articular cartilage (AC) can be seen as a biphasic poroelastic material. The cartilage deformation under compression mainly leads to an interstitial fluid flow in the porous solid phase. In this paper, an analytical poroelastic model for the AC under laboratorial mechanical testing is developed. The solutions of interstitial fluid pressure and velocity are obtained. The results show the following facts. (i) Both the pressure and fluid velocity amplitudes are proportional to the strain loading amplitude. (ii) Both the amplitudes of pore fluid pressure and velocity in the AC depend more on the loading amplitude than on the frequency. Thus, in order to obtain the considerable fluid stimulus for the AC cell responses, the most effective way is to increase the loading amplitude rather than the frequency. (iii) Both the interstitial fluid pressure and velocity are strongly affected by permeability variations. This model can be used in experimental tests of the parameters of AC or other poroelastic materials, and in research of mechanotransduction and injury mechanism involved interstitial fluid flow.     

各向异性渗流条件下弹性波的传播特征

研究了弹性波在非均匀裂纹孔隙介质中的传播特性,建立了各向异性喷射流模型.当弹性波通过裂纹孔隙介质时,由于波的扰动及裂纹和孔隙几何结构的不一致,导致在裂纹内部及裂纹与周边孔隙之间同时存在着流体压力梯度.此时的弹性波波动响应中包含着裂纹内连通性特征和背景孔隙渗透率信息.流体的动态流动过程使得介质的等效弹性参数为复数(非完全弹性),并且具有频率依赖性.当弹性波为低频和高频极限时,介质为完全弹性;当处于中间频段时,波有衰减和频率依赖.裂纹孔隙介质的各向异性连通性(渗透率)对应着各向异性特征频率(当渗流长度等于非均匀尺度时的弹性波频率),波的传播受到裂纹内连通性的影响.在一定频段内,随着裂纹厚度的增加,将出现第二峰值,峰值大小同时受到裂纹厚度和半径的影响.     

Effects of microcracks on the poroelastic behaviors of a single osteon

It has been suggested that microcracks do play a key role in the triggering of the bone remodeling process. In order to evaluate the influence of microcracks on the poroelastic behaviors of an osteon, a finite element model is established and investigated by using the Comsol Multiphysics software. The findings show that the presence of a microcrack in the osteon wall strongly modifies (enlarges) its local fluid pressure and velocity. Especially, the pressure and velocity amplitudes produced in the microcracked region are larger than those of the non-cracked region. Thus, this study can also be used for proposing a likely mechanism that bone can sense the changes of surrounding mechanical environments.     

An analysis of seismic attenuation in random porous media

The attenuation of seismic wave in rocks has been one of the interesting research topics, but till now no poroelasticity models can thoroughly explain the strong attenuation of wave in rocks. In this paper, a random porous medium model is designed to study the law of wave propagation in complex rocks based on the theory of Biot poroelasticity and the general theory of stochastic process. This model sets the density of grain, porosity, permeability and modulus of frame as random parameters in space, and only one fluid infiltrates in rocks for the sake of better simulation effect in line with real rocks in earth strata. Numerical simulations are implemented. Two different inverse quality factors of fast P-wave are obtained by different methods to assess attenuation through records of virtual detectors in wave field (One is amplitude decay method in time domain and the other is spectral ratio method in frequency domain). Comparing the attenuation results of random porous medium with those of homogeneous porous medium, we conclude that the attenuation of seismic wave of homogeneous porous medium is far weaker than that of random porous medium. In random porous media, the higher heterogeneous level is, the stronger the attenuation becomes, and when heterogeneity σ = 0.15 in simulation, the attenuation result is consistent with that by actual observation. Since the central frequency (50 Hz) of source in numerical simulation is in earthquake band, the numerical results prove that heterogeneous porous structure is one of the important factors causing strong attenuation in real stratum at intermediate and low frequency.