1Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, MS Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, PO Box 850 MC H089, Hershey, PA 17033-0850, USA
Abstract and keywords
Tensile microdamage was examined using laser scanning confocal microscopy in beam specimens of bovine, equine and human long bones loaded in vitro and whole specimens of rat ulnae loaded in vivo. Microcracks were observed to initiate frequently at osteocyte lacunae. The implication is that osteocyte lacunae act as stress concentrating features in bone. This association provides a potential mechanism for the detection of strain and/ or damage by osteocytes in bone.