Citation

Kuninori M, Kikugawa H, Asaka T, Kasuya H. Mater. Trans. 2009; 50(2): 305-312.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Japan Institute of Metals)

DOI

10.2320/matertrans.MRA2008375

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Bone specimens used for evaluating the mechanical properties of bone may not have been necessarily preserved by the same method before they become available. To this end, the mechanical properties of bone may be affected by freezing, a common preservation method, as well as by formalin and other preservation solutions. In this study, bone specimens were preserved by different methods (i.e., freezing, preservation in saline, preservation in ethanol, and preservation in formalin) to examine the effects of each preservation method on the fracture characteristics of bovine femoral cortical bone. Regarding the crack extension behavior in the fracture toughness test, microcracks accumulated at the top of the slit in the low-load region before the maximum load was reached. When such accumulated microcracks grew to a visible size, a crack was formed from the top of the slit, and then grew with subsequent expansion of the processing zone. The fracture toughness values of the bone groups preserved in formalin and neutral buffered formalin were significantly lower than those of the bone groups preserved by other methods. As the fracture surface by scanning electron microscopic observations was smoother with a loading rate of 20 mm/min than with 1 mm/min, cracks were considered to develop easily, resulting in a lower fracture toughness value. Scanning electron microscopic observations of a test section subjected to a low loading rate showed that the fracture surface of the bone groups preserved in formalin or neutral buffered formalin was flat and smooth. In the other preservation groups, the lamellae adjacent to the top of the slit had undulating contours with plastic deformation.