Mechanics of Bone

BME 615
Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Why study bone mechanics?

Interesting Mechanical Properties

In vivo load leads to complex stress distributions 2

Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Why study bone mechanics?

Important structural function
Lots of pathologies cause
mechanical compromise and
clincial issues.
Obvious mechano-transduction
Important for fixation systems for
trauma or joint prosthetics
Good demo of apparent
properties, orthotropic behaviors
Why not?

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Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Wolffs Law
Bone will remodel to adapt to loads

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Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Wolffs Law
Bone will remodel to adapt to loads

http://guide.stanford.edu/Publications/21-1.jpg J. Wolff

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Ankylosed Knee J. Wolff
Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Bone Types
Two types of bone to accommodate complex loading

1. Compact (Cortical) Bone

Relatively high Youngs modulus
Higher resistance to torsion and
bending

Outer shell of bones

Slow turnover

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Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Bone Types
Two types of bone to accommodate complex loading

1. Cancellous (trabecular) Bone

Lower apparent modulus
Higher resistance compression
More elastic than cortical

Inner portion of bone

Higher turnover

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Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Apparent Modulus

Apparent Modulus
Trabecular bone does not fill entire space
Spaces filled with bone marrow
Mechanical properties reflect whats
going on for the entire sample

apparent modulus what the overall

mechanical properties are doing (in this
case, bone + whats filling the gaps)

How will the bone marrow affect the mechanical test results?
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 Bone Elastic Modulus, E

Cortical Bone
E 17.9 GPa
ult 170 MPa (compression)
ult 120 MPa (tension)

Trabecular Bone
E 0.076 GPa
ult 2.2 MPa (compression)

Note: Bone is non-homogeneous

and assumed orthotropic
(spatial & direction dependence)
 Mechanics

9 independent parameters require 9 independent tests

How to test bone? Sample Selection

How to test bone?

Sample Selection
Cancellous bone with different orientation

Different locations may lead to

different mechanical properties

Try not to test off

of principal axes Cortical bone

In vivo load leads to complex stress distributions 12

How to test bone? Three-point testing

Structural Testing
Three-point Testing
Advantages:
easy specimen preparation
(relatively) easy testing

Disadvantage:
Sensitive to geometry (specimen-
specific)

Calculated parameters: flexural stress and strain,

flexural modulus, fracture toughness

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How to test bone? Three-point testing

Structural Testing
Three-point Testing
For hollow cylinder:
r04 r14
My PL
f M
I 4 I
4
y FL3 y ro
f d=
48EI
parameters

Stress intensity factor at crack tip:

4P a
1/ 2 3/ 2
a
KI 1.6 2.6
B W W W

a
5/ 2
a
7/2
a
9/ 2

12.3 21.2 21.8
W W W 14

Tensile Testing

Bone cement to embed

ends in metal cap

Apparent
properties Apparent
properties
How to test bone? Compression testing

Compression Testing
Advantages:
Easy calculations
Uniaxial

Disadvantages:
Careful specimen preparation
Principal material axes?
End conditions?
Spatially changing properties
Specimen size requirements

Calculated parameters:
Apparent compressive strength,
Apparent modulus of elasticity 16
How to test bone? Compression testing

Behaviors from Testing

Cortical Bone Trabecular Bone

Stronger in compression than tension

Different properties with different bone types
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How to test bone? Compression testing

Compression Testing Analysis

Modulus Estimation
Elastic modulus can be estimated
from apparent density using a
power law relationship

E
=2.5 for <1.2 g/cm3
=3.2 for >1.2 g/cm3
= Tissue Mass/Bulk Volume

Reference: DR Carter, GS Beaupre, Skeletal Function and Form:

Mechanobiology of Skeletal Development, Aging and Regeneration. Cambridge
University Press 2007 18
Virtual Lab Demo

Simulated Compression Test

2cm x 2cm x 2cm cube of bone
taken from inside of pig femoral
head

Cancellous/trabecular bone

Bone marrow left in place inside the cube

How will this likely affect testing?

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Virtual Lab Demo

Simulated Compression Test

Steady Compression Applied

Actuator

Bone Sample

Testing Stage

Strain

Time 20
Virtual Lab Demo

Simulated Compression Test

Steady Compression Applied

Actuator

Bone Sample

Testing Stage

Specimen rotated until all three sides tested

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Virtual Lab Demo

Simulated Compression Test

Gather apparent mechanical
properties

Approximating properties as if
homogeneous, continuous
substance

centimeters millimeters
At what scale does the
continuum assumption
break down?

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 Other testing methods
Equations given
Indentation
previously in BVP
Nano-indentation section
Density measurements
Ultrasound

E Longitudinal wave propagation

V= velocity in an elastic,
r homogeneous material
Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Structural Components
Two major components to accommodate complex loading

Collagen: 90% of the organic matrix

(~36% of total dry weight)
Provides tensile strength to bone
Primarily type I collagen

Calcium hydroxyapatite: inorganic matrix

(~60% of total dry weight)
Provides compressive strength to bone
Responsible for bone mineralization
http://www.nsbri.org/HumanPhysSpace/focus6/student2.html

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Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Mixture Theory
Mi = Modulus of ith constituent fi = volume fraction of ith constituent

Voigt Upper Bound:

Model as parallel components in mixture
Component 1
Component 2
Component 1
Component 2
Component 1

f2M2 f1M1
M v fi M i
i 1

HA C

Not for apparent behaviors

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Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Mixture Theory
Mi = Modulus of ith constituent fi = volume fraction of ith constituent

Reuss Lower Bound:

Model as serial components in mixture
HA Component 1
Component 2
N
1 fi

Component 1
C f1M1
Component 2 M v i 1 M i
Component 1

f2M2

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Why Test Bone? Interesting Mechanical Properties

Mixture Theory
Mi = Modulus of ith constituent
Apparent Modulus fi = volume fraction of ith constituent

MHA

Mc

0 1
Volume Fraction of HA 27
 Expectations
after this section

Why study bone mechanics?

Methods of testing to obtain orthotropic
mechanical properties
Apparent properties
Mixture theory for homogeneous elastic
composites
What can you do with properties?
 Further References
Class Website:
Bone Introduction
BME 315 Notes: Bone, Beams, and Torsion
Ref F 12.1-4 (Bone)
Ref F 12.5-6 (more Bone Mechanics)
Bounds on bone stiffness
Bone Issues and Pathology
von Mises Stress
Failure and Fatigue in Bone

R. Lakes Website: silver.neep.wisc.edu/~lakes/

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 Parameters
f = Stress in outer fibers at midpoint, (MPa)
f = Strain in the outer surface, (mm/mm)
P = load at a given point on the load deflection curve, (N)
L = Support span, (mm)
y = distance from neutral axis
= radius of curvature

back

P is the applied load,

B is the thickness of the specimen,
a is the crack length,
W is the width of the specimen
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