Changes in physical properties of bone between the in vivo, freshly dead, and embalmed conditions

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Greenberg, S. W.¹; Gonzalez, D.¹; Gurdjian, E. S.¹; Thomas, L. M.¹

Changes in physical properties of bone between the in vivo, freshly dead, and embalmed conditions

Proceedings of the 12th Stapp Car Crash Conference

Affiliations

¹School of Medicine, Wayne State University
Abstract

A knowledge of the state of the physical properties of cadaver material is important if such material is utilized for impact studies. Experiments were designed to evaluate changes in elastic and strength properties of bone in the experimental animal in the course of its transition from live to recent death to embalmed conditions.

Results indicate less than 5% change from the live to the fresh condition. In progressing to the embalmed wet condition variable degrees of stiffening are observed averaging around 8%. Drying of embalmed bone further increases stiffness about 24% and remoistening reconstitutes some of the initial flexibility.
Links

DOI: 10.4271/680783

SAE: 680783

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Cited By (10)

Year	Entry
1973	Evans FG. Mechanical Properties of Bone. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas; 1973.
2001	Martin RB, Sharkey NA. Mechanical effects of postmortem changes, preservation, and allograft bone treatments. In: Cowin SC, ed. Bone Mechanics Handbook. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2001:20-1–20-24.
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2003	Vezin P, Verriest JP. Influence of the impact and restraint conditions on human surrogate head response to a frontal deceleration. In: Proceedings of the 2003 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 25, 2003; Lisbon, Portugal.39-56.
1996	Augat P, Reeb H, Claes LE. Prediction of fracture load at different skeletal sites by geometric properties of the cortical shell. J Bone Miner Res. September 1996;11(9):1356-1363.
1994	Finlay JB, Hardie WR. Anisotropic contraction of cortical bone caused by dehydration of samples of the bovine femur in vitro. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part H-J Eng Med. 1994;208(1):27-32.
1983	Morrison WE. Calibration and Utilization of an Instrumented Football Helmet for the Monitoring of Impact Accelerations [PhD thesis]. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania; March 1983.
1969	Vulcan AP. Response of the Lower Vertebral Column to Caudocephalad Acceleration [PhD thesis]. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University; 1969.
1977	Begeman PC. The Effect of Energy Absorbing Devices on Spinal Loads Resulting from -G_X Acceleration [PhD thesis]. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University; 1977.
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