Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Safety factors in bone strength

A A Biewener1

  • 1Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.

Calcified Tissue International
|January 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Investigating bone fragility, this study examines functional strain data to assess if fatigue damage or osteoporosis is the primary cause of fractures in the elderly. Results suggest bone has a safety factor against yielding, implying fatigue damage is a significant factor.

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
Same journal

Capsanthin Attenuates Osteoporosis by Targeting the Urotensin II Receptor Pathway to Inhibit Oxidative Stress and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.

Calcified tissue international·2026
Same journal

ODAPH (p.Arg77*) Phenotype and Onset of Ameloblast Pathology During Postsecretory Transition Demonstrated by FIB-SEM Analyses of Odaph<sup>C41*/C41*</sup> Mice.

Calcified tissue international·2026
Same journal

Cytokine Networks Reprogramming the Osteo-Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Bone Metastasis.

Calcified tissue international·2026
Same journal

Associations between controlling nutritional status and mortality in osteoporosis: evidence from NHANES, 2005-2018.

Calcified tissue international·2026
Same journal

Gut Microbiota-Derived TMAO Drives MC3T3-E1 Senescence and Osteogenic Dysfunction via cGAS-STING-NF-κB Signaling: Implications for Age-Related Bone Loss.

Calcified tissue international·2026
Same journal

Artificial Intelligence Approaches for Osteoporotic Fracture Risk Prediction Using Administrative Health Data: A Systematic Review.

Calcified tissue international·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Orthopedics
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Bone fragility in the elderly is a major clinical concern.
  • Osteoporotic bone loss and fatigue damage accumulation are potential contributors to fracture risk.
  • Current in vivo strain measurement methods are limited to cortical bone surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the relative importance of osteoporotic bone loss versus fatigue damage in clinical bone fragility.
  • To determine if the skeleton's safety factor necessitates fatigue damage as the main factor in elderly fracture risk.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of functional in vivo strain data in relation to bone material properties.
  • Comparison of measured peak principal compressive strains in cortical bone across species.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Calculation of skeletal safety factors based on yield strain versus ultimate failure strain.

    • Main Results:

    • Peak compressive strains in cortical bone during strenuous activity range from -1700 to -5200 mu epsilon.
    • Compact bone yields at -6000 to -8000 mu epsilon and fails at -14,000 to -21,000 mu epsilon.
    • Calculated safety factors to yield failure range from 1.4 to 4.1.

    Conclusions:

    • The skeletal safety factor to yield failure suggests fatigue damage accumulation is a significant contributor to bone fragility.
    • Further research is needed to understand human cortical bone strain during strenuous activity.
    • Findings have implications for understanding and mitigating fracture risk in aging populations.