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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Fragility Assessment of Bovine Cortical Bone Using Scratch Tests
Published on: November 30, 2017
Fragility Assessment of Bovine Cortical Bone Using Scratch Tests
Kavya Mendu1, Amrita Kataruka1, Jasmine Puthuvelil1
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
Abstract:
Bone is a complex hierarchical material with five distinct levels of organization. Factors like aging and diseases like osteoporosis increase the fragility of bone, making it fracture-prone. Owing to the large socio-economic impact of bone fracture in our society, there is a need for novel ways to assess the mechanical performance of each hierarchical level of bone. Although stiffness and strength can be probed at all scales - nano-, micro-, meso-, and macroscopic - fracture assessment has so far been confined to macroscopic testing. This limitation restricts our understanding of bone fracture and constrains the scope of laboratory and clinical studies. In this research, we investigate the fracture resistance of bone from the microscopic to the mesoscopic length scales using micro scratch tests combined with nonlinear fracture mechanics. The tests are performed in the short longitudinal orientation on bovine cortical bone specimens. A meticulous experimental protocol is developed and a large number (102) of tests are conducted to assess the fracture toughness of cortical bone specimens while accounting for the heterogeneity associated with bone microstructure.
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