Accuracy quantification of finite element stress analysis in long bones

A 6000% increase in the number of finite element papers published between 1980 and 2009 has been reported [1]. However, finite element convergence and error analysis have not been adequately addressed in the literature. In this study, fundamental relations of finite element convergence analysis were developed to achieve an error of no more than 1%. This model achieved an FEA error of 0.12% in the smallest number of iterations possible. The outcome of this study will assist investigators in generating reliable 3D models.