Effect of Bone Density on the Compressive Mechanical Properties of Bovine Trabecular Bone

The density of bone is subject to change due to natural causes or bone abnormalities and disorders such as osteopenia, osteomalacia and osteoporosis. One of the most concerning attributes of osteoporosis is its non-expressive nature, which means it is more often than not diagnosed after it causes a bone fracture. Recent technological advancements have enabled digital reconstruction of bone via imaging techniques, which could be used as a non-invasive method of observing osteoporosis and assessing its severity. However, the correlation between the severity of various bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, and the mechanical properties of bone are yet to be fully understood. In this study, the effect of bone density on the compressive mechanical properties of bones has been investigated. In order to establish a correlation between the two, samples were prepared from bovine trabecular bone (BTB) and their densities were measured, after which they were subjected to uniaxial compressive mechanical tests. From the resultant data, elastic modulus, yield stress, plateau stress and densification strain were determined. The experimental results revealed interesting correlations between bone density and compressive mechanical properties.