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Related Concept Videos

Bone Disorders01:29

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Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
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Treatment for a fracture is based on the type of break, the bone affected, and the patient's age.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Author Spotlight: An Economic and Efficient Method for Quantitative Evaluation of Bone Microarchitecture in a Murine Osteoporosis Model
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Bone microdamage, remodeling and bone fragility: how much damage is too much damage?

Zeynep Seref-Ferlengez1, Oran D Kennedy2, Mitchell B Schaffler1

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, City University of New York , New York, NY, USA.

Bonekey Reports
|April 8, 2015
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Summary

Bone microdamage accumulation, influenced by aging and disease, reduces fracture toughness. The amount of damage considered "too much" depends on the complex interplay between damage, repair, and toughening mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Orthopedic Biomechanics
  • Skeletal Biology

Background:

  • Bone fragility is influenced by microdamage from fatigue or wear, but its full impact remains unclear.
  • Bone microdamage comprises linear microcracks and diffuse damage, with distinct mechanical and biological effects.
  • Healthy bone, like engineering composites, utilizes microstructural interfaces to manage damage and resist fracture.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the complex relationship between bone microdamage, fracture toughness, and bone fragility.
  • To investigate the role of microstructural features and repair mechanisms in bone's response to fatigue loading.
  • To understand how aging, disease, and reduced remodeling affect bone's ability to tolerate microdamage.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of bone's mechanical behavior to engineering composites under fatigue loading.
  • Identification of primary bone toughening features, including mineral-collagen interfaces and tissue heterogeneity.
  • Examination of how reduced remodeling and microdamage accumulation impact fracture toughness.

Main Results:

  • Bone microdamage, characterized by linear and diffuse cracks, affects bone fragility.
  • Bone's damage tolerance relies on microstructural interfaces for energy dissipation and crack arrest, similar to composites.
  • Reduced remodeling leads to microdamage accumulation and loss of tissue heterogeneity, both contributing to decreased fracture toughness.

Conclusions:

  • Bone fragility is a complex outcome influenced by microdamage accumulation, impaired repair, and diminished toughening mechanisms.
  • The concept of 'how much microdamage is too much' is not absolute but depends on the balance between damage, repair capacity, and the effectiveness of intrinsic toughening features.
  • Understanding these interactions is crucial for addressing age-related bone fragility and other conditions affecting bone health.