A macroscopic continuum model intended to provide predictions for the remodeling process occurring in bone tissue is proposed. Specifically, we consider a formulation in which two characteristic stiffnesses, namely the bulk and shear moduli, evolve independently to adapt the hydrostatic and deviatoric response of the bone tissue to environmental changes. The formulation is deliberately simplified, aiming at constituting a preliminary step toward a more comprehensive modeling approach. The evolutive process for describing the functional adaptation of the two stiffnesses is proposed based on an energetic argument. Numerical experiments reveal that it is possible to model the bone remodeling process with a different evolution for more than one material parameter, as usually done. Moreover, the results motivate further investigations into the subject.
Keywords: bone remodeling; deviatoric strain; hydrostatic strain; mechanical stimuli; mechano-sensing; strain energy density.