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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
12:04
Assessment of Bone Fracture Healing Using Micro-Computed Tomography
Published on: December 9, 2022
Microdamage in bone: implications for fracture, repair, remodeling, and adaptation
Seth W Donahue1, Sarah A Galley
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931-1295, USA. swdonahu@mtu.edu
Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering
|August 26, 2006
Summary
Bone fatigue microdamage, seen as microcracks, impairs material properties and contributes to fractures. The review covers damage detection, quantification, and the bone
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Orthopedic Research
- Materials Science
Background:
- Bone accumulates fatigue microdamage from physiological loading, manifesting as microcracks.
- This microdamage, particularly in interstitial bone, can reduce bone material properties like elastic modulus.
- Accumulated fatigue damage is linked to stress fractures and fragility fractures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review experimental techniques for identifying and quantifying bone microdamage.
- To discuss the density and distribution of in vivo microcracks.
- To examine the impact of microdamage on bone's mechanical properties and fracture risk, and explore repair mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental techniques for microdamage identification and quantification.
- Analysis of studies on in vivo microcrack density.
- Examination of research on the effects of microdamage on bone material properties and fracture.
- Synthesis of biological mechanisms for microdamage detection and repair.
Main Results:
- Fatigue microdamage, characterized by microcracks (50-100 µm), accumulates in bone.
- In vitro studies show reduced bone material properties with increased fatigue damage.
- Microdamage is implicated in the etiology of stress and fragility fractures.
Conclusions:
- Bone possesses mechanisms for detecting and repairing fatigue microdamage.
- Understanding microdamage is crucial for addressing bone fragility and fracture risk.
- This review consolidates knowledge on bone microdamage assessment and biological response.
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