Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Fragility Assessment of Bovine Cortical Bone Using Scratch Tests
Published on: November 30, 2017
The micromechanics versus the macromechanics of cortical bone--a comprehensive presentation
1Department of Human Biopathology, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
Secondary cortical bone is a complicated patchwork of structures which can be viewed as a hierarchy of four different orders. As far as the biomechanical properties of cortical bone are concerned, the lamellae is the most important of the four. The relative distribution of longitudinal lamellae (whose fiber bundles and crystallites have a longitudinal course and withstand loading by tension) with respect to transverse lamellae (whose fiber bundles and crystallites have a transverse course and withstand loading by compression) governs the mechanical properties of bone at macroscopic level both in normal and pathological conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Structure
Bone Remodeling
Gross Anatomy of Bone
The diaphysis is the tubular shaft that runs between the proximal and distal ends of the bone. The walls of the diaphysis are composed of dense and hard compact bone made of numerous osteons — the functional unit of the compact bone. The hollow region in the diaphysis is called the medullary cavity, which harbors the bone marrow. In infants and children, this marrow cavity is filled with red marrow, whereas in adults, it...
Compact Bone
Compact bone, also called cortical bone, is the denser, stronger of the two types of bone tissue. It is found under the periosteum and in the diaphyses of long bones, where it provides support and protection. The microscopic structural unit of compact bone is called an osteon, or haversian system. Each osteon is composed of concentric rings of calcified...
Introduction to the Skeletal System
Components of the Skeletal System
Bone, or osseous tissue, is a hard connective tissue that forms an internal support structure for the human body. Bones shield vulnerable organs and soft tissue from external forces. For example, the vertebral bones protect and support the spinal cord.
Cartilage, a semi-rigid connective tissue found in regions such as...
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...

