Author(s)

J.Vander Sloten, H. Van Oosterwyck, V. Pattijn & T. Van Cleynenbreugel

Abstract

Numerical pre-clinical testing in hard tissue surgery J.Vander Sloten, H. Van Oosterwyck, V. Pattijn & T. Van Cleynenbreugel Division of Biomechanics and Engineering Design. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200A - 3001 Heverlee (Belgium) 1 Bone as a smart material Bone is more than just an engineering material. Bones provide stability to our body and are also an essential element in our mobility. Moreover bones act as reservoirs of important minerals such as calcium. From the macroscopic point of view there are two major types of bone tissue: the compact or cortical bone and the trabecular or spongy bone. The shaft or diaphysis of long bones is mostly made up of cortical bone, trabecular bone is found in the ends of bones (the epiphyseal region) and inside short bones. From the engineering point of view, cortical bone consists of fibers (osteons) running in the length direction of the bone. This gives rise to mechanical properties reflecting this transverse isotropic structure.

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