Patent ID: 7283940

Claim:
A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions which when executed on a computer determine a macrostructural mechanical response of a bone to at least one external force, comprising: instructions for executing a computer based model of macrostructural properties of the bone, wherein the model comprises: data corresponding to microstructural elements of a bone, wherein the elements comprise bright and dark lamellae from secondary osteons and individual secondary osteons, and are in a hierarchical relationship to a selected macrostructural region of the bone; a set of empirically-based mechanical properties of the microstructural elements comprising data generated by subjecting individual lamellae and individual osteons to external force; and a set of corresponding macrostructural properties, based on the mechanical properties of the microstructural elements; instructions for correlating one or more of the macrostructural properties of the bone with one or more mechanical properties of the microstructural elements of the bone when at least one external force is applied to the bone and data corresponding to at least one interaction of the bone is generated; and instructions for determining a macrostructural mechanical response of the bone to the external force.