Relationship between the articular surface area of a bone and the magnitude of stress passing through it

The present study investigates the relationship between the articular area of a bone and the magnitude of the stress it resists. An attempt was also made to find the correlation between the development of a bone and its articular area. The material of the study consisted of a large number of dry, macerated, adult male skeletons. The articular surface area of the bones was measured with the help of a planimeter. The magnitude of the force acting on the proximal articular surface of a bone is expected to go out of the bone through its distal articular surface in almost the same proportion. The present investigation is based on the assumption that if the articular area is related to the magnitude of stress, then the proximal and distal articular areas of a bone should also be correlated. A significant correlation was observed between the proximal and distal articular areas of axis vertebra; L4 and sacrum; and tibia-fibula and talus. This indicated that the stress resisted by proximal and distal articular areas was in the same proportion. Similarly, a significant positive correlation between bone index and articular area in ribs, tibia, and laminae of vertebrae indicated that the bone mass (development) runs parallel to the articular area. Thus, the present investigation could reveal that the articular area and bone development are related to the stress acting on the bone.