Microdamage, in the form of small cracks, may accumulate in trabecular bone loaded in fatigue. Specimens of bovine trabecular bone were loaded in compressive fatigue at one of four normalized stresses and loading was stopped after the specimens reached one of six maximum strains. Microdamage was identified using a fluorochrome staining technique, and microdamage parameters, including the number of damaged trabeculae and the damaged area fraction, were measured. No microdamage was observed during loading to strains below the yield strain; at higher strains, all microdamage parameters increased with increasing maximum compressive strain. Few significant differences were observed in the type or amount of microdamage accumulation between specimens loaded to the same maximum strain at different normalized stresses; however, more trabecular fractures were observed at high numbers of cycles, which corresponded to low normalized stresses.

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
microcracks, fatigue cracks, bone, biomechanics
Topics:
Bone, Damage, Fatigue, Fracture (Materials), Stress, Cycles
1.
O’Brien, F. J., 2001, “Microcracks and the Fatigue Behavior of Compact Bone,” Ph.D. thesis, Trinity College and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
2.
Boyce
,
T. M.
,
Fyhrie
,
D. P.
,
Glotkowski
,
M. C.
,
Radin
,
E. L.
, and
Schaffler
,
M. B.
,
1998
, “
Damage Type and Strain Mode Associations in Human Compact Bone Bending Fatigue
,”
J. Orthop. Res.
,
16
, pp.
322
–
329
.
3.
Muir
,
P.
,
Johnson
,
K. A.
, and
Ruaux-Mason
,
C. P.
,
1999
, “
In Vivo Matrix Microdamage in a Naturally Occurring Canine Fatigue Fracture
,”
Bone (N.Y.)
,
25
, pp.
571
–
576
.
4.
Zioupos
,
P.
,
Wang
,
X. T.
, and
Currey
,
J. D.
,
1996
, “
The Accumulation of Fatigue Microdamage in Human Cortical Bone of Two Different Ages in Vitro
,”
Clin. Biomech. (Los Angel. Calif.)
,
11
, pp.
365
–
375
.
5.
Mori
,
S.
, and
Burr
,
D. B.
,
1993
, “
Increased Intracortical Remodeling Following Fatigue Damage
,”
Bone (N.Y.)
,
14
, pp.
103
–
109
.
6.
Burr
,
D. B.
,
1993
, “
Remodeling and the Repair of Fatigue Damage
,”
Calcif. Tissue Int.
,
53
, pp.
75
–
80
.
7.
Burr
,
D. B.
,
Martin
,
R. B.
,
Schaffler
,
M. B.
, and
Radin
,
E. L.
,
1985
, “
Bone Remodeling in Response to in Vivo Fatigue Microdamage
,”
J. Biomech.
,
18
, pp.
189
–
200
.
8.
Verborgt
,
O.
,
Gibson
,
G. J.
, and
Schaffler
,
M. B.
,
2000
, “
Loss of Osteocyte Integrity in Association With Microdamage and Bone Remodeling After Fatigue in Vivo
,”
J. Bone Miner. Res.
,
15
, pp.
60
–
67
.
9.
Burr
,
D. B.
,
Forwood
,
M. R.
,
Fyhrie
,
D. P.
,
Martin
,
R. B.
,
Schaffler
,
M. B.
, and
Turner
,
C. H.
,
1997
, “
Bone Microdamage and Skeletal Fragility in Osteoporotic and Stress Fractures
,”
J. Bone Miner. Res.
,
12
, pp.
6
–
15
.
10.
Daffner
,
R. H.
, and
Pavlov
,
H.
,
1992
, “
Stress Fractures: Current Concepts
,”
Am. J. Roentgenol.
,
159
, pp.
245
–
252
.
11.
Frost
,
H. M.
,
1960
, “
Presence of Microscopic Cracks in Vivo in Bone
,”
Bulletin of the Henry Ford Hospital
,
8
, pp.
23
–
35
.
12.
Nunamaker
,
D. M.
,
Butterweck
,
D. M.
, and
Provost
,
M. T.
,
1990
, “
Fatigue Fractures in Thoroughbred Racehorses: Relationships With Age, Peak Bone Strain, and Training
,”
J. Orthop. Res.
,
8
, pp.
604
–
611
.
13.
Fazzalari
,
N. L.
,
Forwood
,
M. R.
,
Smith
,
K.
,
Manthey
,
B. A.
, and
Herreen
,
P.
,
1998
, “
Assessment of Cancellous Bone Quality in Severe Osteoarthrosis: Bone Mineral Density, Mechanics, and Microdamage
,”
Bone (N.Y.)
,
22
, pp.
381
–
388
.
14.
Bentolila
,
V.
,
Boyce
,
T. M.
,
Fyhrie
,
D. P.
,
Drumb
,
R.
,
Skerry
,
T. M.
, and
Schaffler
,
M. B.
,
1998
, “
Intracortical Remodeling in Adult Rat Long Bones After Fatigue Loading
,”
Bone (N.Y.)
,
23
, pp.
275
–
281
.
15.
Zioupos
,
P.
,
Currey
,
J. D.
, and
Sedman
,
A. J.
,
1994
, “
An Examination of the Micromechanics of Failure of Bone and Antler by Acoustic Emission Tests and Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy
,”
Med. Eng. Phys.
,
16
, pp.
203
–
212
.
16.
Forwood
,
M. R.
, and
Parker
,
A. W.
,
1989
, “
Microdamage in Response to Repetitive Torsional Loading in the Rat Tibia
,”
Calcif. Tissue Int.
,
45
, pp.
47
–
53
.
17.
Hoshaw
,
S. J.
,
Cody
,
D. D.
,
Saad
,
A. M.
, and
Fyhrie
,
D. P.
,
1997
, “
Decrease in Canine Proximal Femoral Ultimate Strength and Stiffness Due to Fatigue Damage
,”
J. Biomech.
,
30
, pp.
323
–
329
.
18.
Zioupos
,
P.
, and
Casinos
,
A.
,
1998
, “
Cumulative Damage and the Response of Human Bone in Two-Step Loading Fatigue
,”
J. Biomech.
,
31
, pp.
825
–
833
.
19.
Burr
,
D. B.
,
Turner
,
C. H.
,
Naick
,
P.
,
Forwood
,
M. R.
,
Ambrosius
,
W.
,
Hasan
,
M. S.
, and
Pidaparti
,
R.
,
1998
, “
Does Microdamage Accumulation Affect the Mechanical Properties of Bone?
”
J. Biomech.
,
31
, pp.
337
–
345
.
20.
Taylor
,
D.
,
1998
, “
Microcrack Growth Parameters for Compact Bone Deduced From Stiffness Variations
,”
J. Biomech.
,
31
, pp.
587
–
592
.
21.
Guo
,
X. E.
,
McMahon
,
T. A.
,
Keaveny
,
T. M.
,
Hayes
,
W. C.
, and
Gibson
,
L. J.
,
1994
, “
Finite Element Modeling of Damage Accumulation in Trabecular Bone Under Cyclic Loading
,”
J. Biomech.
,
27
, pp.
145
–
155
.
22.
Schaffner
,
G.
,
Guo
,
X. E.
,
Silva
,
M. J.
, and
Gibson
,
L. J.
,
2000
, “
Modelling Fatigue Damage Accumulation in Two-Dimensional Voronoi Honeycombs
,”
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences
,
42
, pp.
645
–
656
.
23.
Makiyama, A. M., Vajjala, S., and Gibson, L. J., 2002, “
Analysis of Crack Growth in a 3-D Voronoi Structure: A Model for Fatigue in Low-Density Trabecular Bone,” submitted to J. Biomech. Eng.
24.
Moore
,
T. L. A.
, and
Gibson
,
L. J.
,
2001
, “
Modeling Modulus Reduction in Bovine Trabecular Bone Tested in Compression
,”
J. Biomech. Eng.
,
123
, pp.
613
–
622
.
25.
Moore
,
T. L. A.
, and
Gibson
,
L. J.
,
2001
, “
Microdamage Accumulation in Bovine Trabecular Bone in Uniaxial Compression
,”
J. Biomech. Eng.
,
124
, pp.
63
–
71
.
26.
Wachtel
,
E. F.
, and
Keaveny
,
T. M.
,
1997
, “
Dependence of Trabecular Damage on Mechanical Strain
,”
J. Orthop. Res.
,
15
, pp.
781
–
787
.
27.
Moore
,
T. L. A.
, and
Gibson
,
L. J.
,
2002
, “
Fatigue of Bovine Trabecular Bone
,”
J. Biomech. Eng.
,
124
(
6
), pp.
512
–
522
.
28.
Carter
,
D. R.
, and
Hayes
,
W. C.
,
1977
, “
The Compressive Behavior of Bone as a Two-Phase Porous Structure
,”
J. Bone Jt. Surg.
,
59A
, pp.
954
–
962
.
29.
Linde
,
F.
,
Norgaard
,
P.
,
Hvid
,
I.
,
Odgaard
,
A.
, and
Soballe
,
K.
,
1991
, “
Mechanical Properties of Trabecular Bone. Dependency on Strain Rate
,”
J. Biomech.
,
24
, pp.
803
–
809
.
30.
Lee
,
T. C.
,
Arthur
,
T. L.
,
Gibson
,
L. J.
, and
Hayes
,
W. C.
,
2000
, “
Sequential Labelling of Microdamage in Bone Using Chelating Agents
,”
J. Orthop. Res.
,
18
, pp.
322
–
325
.
31.
Seireg
,
A.
, and
Kempke
,
W.
,
1969
, “
Behavior of in Vivo Bone Under Cyclic Loading
,”
J. Biomech.
,
2
, pp.
455
–
461
.
32.
Pattin
,
C. A.
,
Caler
,
W. E.
, and
Carter
,
D. R.
,
1996
, “
Cyclic Mechanical Property Degradation During Fatigue Loading of Cortical Bone
,”
J. Biomech.
,
29
, pp.
69
–
79
.
33.
Moore, T. L. A., and Gibson, L. J., 2002, “
A Fatigue Endurance Limit for Bovine Trabecular Bone Tested in Compression,” to be submitted to J. Biomech.
Copyright © 2003
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.