Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Bone curvature: sacrificing strength for load predictability?

J E Bertram¹, A A Biewener

¹Anatomy Department, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.

Journal of Theoretical Biology

|March 7, 1988

Summary

Long bone curvature, a paradox for strength, actually enhances loading predictability in mammals. This design optimizes bone strength alongside predictable dynamic loading, improving skeletal efficiency.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Modeling muscle function using experimentally determined subject-specific muscle properties.

Journal of biomechanics·2021

Same author

Different Segments within Vertebrate Muscles Can Operate on Different Regions of Their Force-Length Relationships.

Integrative and comparative biology·2018

Same author

The effect of fast and slow motor unit activation on whole-muscle mechanical performance: the size principle may not pose a mechanical paradox.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2014

Same author

A constitutive description of the anisotropic response of the fascia lata.

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials·2013

Same author

Hind limb scaling of kangaroos and wallabies (superfamily Macropodoidea): implications for hopping performance, safety factor and elastic savings.

Journal of anatomy·2007

Same author

Low speed maneuvering flight of the rose-breasted cockatoo (Eolophus roseicapillus). I. Kinematic and neuromuscular control of turning.

The Journal of experimental biology·2007

Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Evolutionary Biology
Mammalian Anatomy

Background:

Long bones in terrestrial mammals are primarily loaded in bending, which is less mass-efficient than axial compression.
Bone curvature increases bending stresses, creating a paradox with optimal structural design principles.

Purpose of the Study:

To explain the evolutionary paradox of curved long bones in mammals.
To propose a new hypothesis redefining bone design effectiveness beyond mere strength.

Main Methods:

Analysis of long bone loading conditions (bending vs. axial compression).
Examination of stability principles for columns under dynamic loads.
Hypothesis formulation based on structural mechanics and evolutionary pressures.

Main Results:

Bone curvature improves the predictability of dynamic loading direction and stress patterns.
A redefined role for bone as a structural unit balancing strength and loading predictability is proposed.

Conclusions:

Long bone curvature is not a design flaw but a mechanism to enhance loading predictability.
Optimal bone design integrates strength with predictable dynamic load management.

Related Experiment Videos