Objective To study the effect of three different kinds of mechanical stimuli (i.e. strain energy density, equivalent stress and equivalent strain) on numerical simulation of bone remodeling. Methods A two-dimensional finite element model of the proximal femur was constructed. Based on the mechanostat theory and finite element method, the inner structure of the proximal femur and its density distributions under the three different stimuli were predicted. Then the simulation results were compared quantitatively with calculation results obtained from CT images. ResultsThe predicted density distributions on the proximal femur under different stimuli were all well matched with the real structure of the proximal femur. By comparing the values and shapes of the calculated bone density curves, the predictions from the model using equivalent stress as mechanical stimuli were mostly consistent with the CT images. ConclusionsThe equivalent stress might play a leading role in mechano-regulation algorithms of bone remodeling. The accurate prediction of bone remodeling process will provide a theoretical basis for clinical practices such as orthopedic surgery, treatment of bone diseases and personalized design and optimization of prosthesis.