[Intra- and interindividual differences in tensile strength of human bone]

In a biomechanical study we evaluated the stability of human femurs. In order to document the inter- and intraindividual differences in bending stability, we tested 200 bone samples, harvested from the femurs of 5 multiorgan donors. The bending tests were performed on a material testing machine (ZWICK) under standardized conditions. Our results revealed significant differences in the stability of the femurs of the 5 multiorgan donors. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in breaking strength at different levels of the same bone.

In studies aimed at evaluating the primary bony stability of alloimplants after different preservation or sterilization procedures, the above-mentioned results should be taken into consideration.