SUMMARYCurrently, there is major interest within the biomedical community in developing accurate non-invasive means for analyzing bone micro-structure. This paper presents a new approach for a multi-scale finite element (FE) analysis of a trabecular structure. Two domain decomposition approaches are investigated as a basis for computational analysis at the micro-scale level, which is then applied for solving a 2D elasticity FE problem. In addition, a homogenization procedure from micro-to macro-scale level is presented. The proposed new multi-scale FE method has the potential to provide new insights into bone structure and behavior. Moreover, it is expected that the outcomes of this research will develop into a computerized virtual biopsy system.