Bone mineral content and mechanical strength:​ an ex vivo study on human femora at autopsy

Alho, Antti; Husby, Rorstein; Høiseth, Arne

Affiliations

¹Orthopaedic Service, Ullevaal Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

²Department of Radiology, Ullevaal Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Abstract

Bone mineral content as determined by computed tomography (CT) and mechanical strength on axial loading were compared in 36 cadaveric femur specimens. In axial loading, 34 femora fractured vertically in the neck, one femur frac tured subtrochanterically, and one in the shaft. Based on the CT measurements of density and area, the mass of a transverse slice of the femur was estimated. Highly significant correlations were demonstrated between strength and cancel lous bone density. Even higher correlations were revealed when the bone masses of the proximal and distal femoral areas were calculated. Based on these findings, an equal distribution of the effective mass of the femur was postulated.

Links

DOI: 10.1097/00003086-198802000-00035

PubMed: 3338217

WoS: A1988L944100034

Ovid: 00003086-198802000-00035

History

Received: 1986-03-10

Cited Works (4)

Year	Entry
1970	Singh M, Nagrath AR, Maini PS. Changes in trabecular pattern of the upper end of the femur as an index of osteoporosis. J Bone Joint Surg. April 1970;52A(3):457-467.
1983	Bohr H, Schaadt O. Bone mineral content of femoral bone and the lumbar spine measured in women with fracture of the femoral neck by dual photon absorptiometry. Clin Orthop Relat Res. October 1983;179:240-245.
1970	Newton-John HF, Morgan DB. The loss of bone with age, osteoporosis, and fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res. July–August 1970;71:229-252.
1976	Dalén N, Hellström L-G, Jacobson B. Bone mineral content and mechanical strength of the femoral neck. Acta Orthop Scand. 1976;47(5):503-508.

Cited By (39)

Year	Entry
2001	Boskey AL. Bone mineralization. In: Cowin SC, ed. Bone Mechanics Handbook. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2001:5-1–5-33.
2001	Villarraga ML, Ford CM. Applications of bone mechanics. In: Cowin SC, ed. Bone Mechanics Handbook. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2001:33-1–33-33.
1992	Myers ER, Greenspan SL, Hayes WC. Biomechanics of hip fracture risk. In: Proceedings of the 2nd Injury Prevention Through Biomechanics Symposium. April 10-11, 1992; Detroit, MI.41-46.
1997	Cheng XG, Lowet G, Boonen S, Nicholson PHF, Brys P, Nijs J, Dequeker J. Assessment of the strength of proximal femur in vitro: relationship to femoral bone mineral density and femoral geometry. Bone. March 1997;20(3):213-218.
1997	Lang TF, Keyak JH, Heitz MW, Augat P, Liu Y, Mathur A, Genant HK. Volumetric quantitative computed tomography of the proximal femur: precision and relation to bone strength. Bone. July 1997;21(1):101-108.
2002	Wang X, Shen X, Li X, Agrawal CM. Age-related changes in the collagen network and toughness of bone [published correction appears in Bone. 2003;32(1):107]. Bone. 2002;31(1):1-7.
1990	Mazess RB. Fracture risk: a role for compact bone. Calcif Tiss Int. October 1990;47(4):191-193.
1990	Beck TJ, Ruff CB, Warden KE, Scott wW Jr, Rao GU. Predicting femoral neck strength from bone mineral data: a structural approach. Invest Radiol. January 1990;25(1):6-18.
1991	Martin RB. Determinants of the mechanical properties of bones. J Biomech. 1991;24(suppl 1):79-88.
1997	Hoshaw SJ, Cody DD, Saad AM, Fyhrie DP. Decrease in canine proximal femoral ultimate strength and stiffness due to fatigue damage. J Biomech. April 1997;30(3):323-329.
1998	Keyak JH, Rossi SA, Jones KA, Skinner HB. Prediction of femoral fracture load using automated finite element modeling. J Biomech. February 1998;31(2):125-133.
2000	Keyak JH. Relationships between femoral fracture loads for two load configurations. J Biomech. April 2000;33(4):499-502.
2007	Cristofolini L, Juszczyk M, Martelli S, Taddei F, Viceconti M. In vitro replication of spontaneous fractures of the proximal human femur. J Biomech. 2007;40(13):2837-2845.
2007	Yosibash Z, Trabelsi N, Milgrom C. Reliable simulations of the human proximal femur by high-order finite element analysis validated by experimental observations. J Biomech. 2007;40(16):3688-3699.
2008	Schileo E, Taddei F, Cristofolini L, Viceconti M. Subject-specific finite element models implementing a maximum principal strain criterion are able to estimate failure risk and fracture location on human femurs tested in vitro. J Biomech. 2008;41(2):356-367.
2011	Bi X, Patil CA, Lynch CC, Pharr GM, Mahadevan-Jansen A, Nyman JS. Raman and mechanical properties correlate at whole bone- and tissue-levels in a genetic mouse model. J Biomech. January 11, 2011;44(2):297-303.
2011	Juszczyk MM, Cristofolini L, Viceconti M. The human proximal femur behaves linearly elastic up to failure under physiological loading conditions. J Biomech. August 11, 2011;44(12):2259-2266.
1991	Robinovitch SN, Hayes WC, McMahon TA. Prediction of femoral impact forces in falls on the hip. J Biomech Eng. November 1991;113(4):366-374.
1990	Lotz JC, Hayes WC. The use of quantitative computed tomography to estimate risk of fracture of the hip from falls. J Bone Joint Surg. June 1990;72A(5):689-700.
1995	Courtney AC, Wachtel EF, Myers ER, Hayes WC. Age-related reductions in the strength of the femur tested in a fall-loading configuration. J Bone Joint Surg. March 1995;77A(3):387-395.
1989	Esses SI, Lotz JC, Hayes WC. Biomechanical properties of the proximal femur determined in vitro by single‐energy quantitative computed tomography. J Bone Miner Res. October 1989;4(5):715-722.
1992	Carter DR, Bouxsein ML, Marcus R. New approaches for interpreting projected bone densitometry data. J Bone Miner Res. February 1992;7(2):137-145.
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.
2002	Eckstein F, Lochmüller E-M, Lill CA, Kuhn V, Schneider E, Delling G, Müller R. Bone strength at clinically relevant sites displays substantial heterogeneity and is best predicted from site-specific bone densitometry. J Bone Miner Res. January 2002;17(1):162-171.
2004	Eckstein F, Wunderer C, Boehm H, Kuhn V, Priemel M, Link TM, Lochmüller E-M. Reproducibility and side differences of mechanical tests for determining the structural strength of the proximal femur. J Bone Miner Res. March 2004;19(3):379-385.
1994	Les CM, Keyak JH, Stover SM, Taylor KT, Kaneps AJ. Estimation of material properties in the equine metacarpus with use of quantitative computed tomography. J Orthop Res. November 1994;12(6):822-833.
2001	Keyak JH. Improved prediction of proximal femoral fracture load using nonlinear finite element models. Med Eng Phys. April 2001;23(3):165-173.
1991	Hayes WC, Piazza SJ, Zysset PK. Biomechanics of fracture risk prediction of the hip and spine by quantitative computed tomography. Radiol Clin North Am. 1991;29(1):1-18.
1994	Courtney AC. Mechanical Properties of the Proximal Femur: Changes With Age [PhD thesis]. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University; May 1994.
2009	Meardon SA. Skeletal Loading: Implications for Injury and Treatment [PhD thesis]. Iowa State University; 2009.
2002	Egerer AK. The Relationship Between the Osteonal Cement Line and Bone Strength [PhD thesis]. Loma Linda University; June 2002.
1996	Ford CM. Failure of the Human Proximal Femur: Material and Structural Perspectives [PhD thesis]. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; September 1996.
1996	Silva MJ. Predicting the Failure Behavior of the Human Vertebral Body [PhD thesis]. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; February 1996.
1999	Schaffner G. Assessment of Hip Fracture Risk in Astronauts Exposed to Long-Term Weightlessness [PhD thesis]. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; August 1999.
1992	Bouxsein ML. Physical Activity and Bone Density [PhD thesis]. Stanford University; August 1992.
1996	Keyak JH. Prediction of Femoral Strength Using Automated Finite Element Modeling [PhD thesis]. Berkeley, CA: Berkeley, University of California; 1996.
1998	Ciarelli TE. Architectural and Material Contributions to Fracture of the Spine and Proximal Femur [PhD thesis]. University of Michigan; 1998.
2007	Wallace JM III. Investigating the Inbred Strain-Specific Response to Biglycan-Deficiency and Exercise: A Study in Genetically-Mediated Skeletal Adaptation [PhD thesis]. University of Michigan; 2007.
2010	Reyes MJ. Age-Related Influence of Bone Remodeling on Local Tissue Properties of Human Cortical Bone [PhD thesis]. San Antionio, TX: University of Texas at San Antonio; December 2010.