Trabecular bone osteoporosis model with bone screw

cults3d

Osteoporosis is a disease that severely affects elderly individuals, causing their bones to gradually deteriorate and become increasingly prone to fractures. Approximately 200 million people worldwide are living with osteoporosis, making it a major concern globally. According to statistics, one in three women over the age of fifty will experience an osteoporotic fracture, while one in five men will also suffer from this debilitating condition. Two detailed 3D printing models vividly illustrate the destructive impact of osteoporosis on human bone microstructure. The "healthy" model represents trabecular bone found in young individuals, while the "osteoporosis" model showcases a weakened trabecular microstructure ravaged by osteoporosis. Both models feature a bone screw commonly used in orthopedic surgeries for implant fixation, which demonstrates that its hold is significantly stronger in healthy bones and weaker in osteoporotic bones. This stark contrast highlights not only the increased risk of fractures associated with osteoporosis but also the greater difficulty in treating these fractures. A key metric to measure bone tissue density per unit volume is BV/TV (Bone Volume over Tissue Volume). In this context, the "healthy" model boasts a BV/TV of 30%, whereas the "osteoporosis" model has a paltry BV/TV of 10%. To facilitate easy identification and comprehension of these values, two accompanying labels are included, allowing users to attach them to the models via strings for convenient reference. These 3D printed models were meticulously created from micro-ct images using medtool at the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences. The idea behind these models was conceived by dhp73 and has been expertly scaled up by a factor of fifteen times, resulting in bone cubes with an actual size of 6.1x6.1x6.1mm.