Microcracks and the fatigue behaviour of compact bone

Abstract

Microcracking in bone acts as a stimulus for bone remodelling, contributes to the loss of bone quality in osteoporosis and is thought to play a major role in both fragility and stress fractures. This study seeks to refine a method of crack detection using fluorescent chelating agents and to label microcrack initiation, growth and coalescence during fatigue testing in compression. The three dimensional shape of microcracks and their interaction with the microstructure of bone will also be investigated.