[Zurück]

P. J. Thurner, B. Erickson, Z. Schriock, J. Langan, J.S. Scott, M. Zhao, G. Fantner, P. Turner, J. Kindt, G. Schitter, P.K. Hansma:
"High-Speed Photography of Human Trabecular Bone during Compression";
Vortrag: Symposium on Structure and Mechanical Behavior of Biological Materials, San Francisco (USA); 29.03.2005 - 31.03.2005; in: "Structure and Mechanical Behavior of Biological Materials", (2005), 6 S.

The mechanical properties of healthy and diseased bone tissue are extensively studied in
mechanical tests. Most of this research is motivated by the immense costs of health care and
social impacts due to osteoporosis in post-menopausal women and the aged. Osteoporosis results
in bone loss and change of trabecular architecture, causing a decrease in bone strength. To
address the problem of assessing local failure behavior of bone, we combined mechanical
compression testing of trabecular bone samples with high-speed photography. In this exploratory
study, we investigated healthy, osteoarthritic, and osteoporotic human vertebral trabecular bone
compressed at high strain rates simulating conditions experienced in individuals during falls.
Apparent strains were found to translate to a broad range of local strains. Moreover, strained
trabeculae were seen to whiten with increasing strain. We hypothesize that the effect seen is due
to microcrack formation in these areas, similar to stress whitening seen in synthetic polymers.
From the results of a motion energy filter applied to the recorded movies, we saw that the
whitened areas are, presumably, also of high deformation. We believe that this method will allow
further insights into bone failure mechanisms, and help toward a better understanding of the
processes involved in bone failure.