Fracture toughness properties of various parts of bovine and swine compact bone

Although research and development of biomaterials, such as an artificial bone, are energetically done recently, researches on bones are not enough. There is, in particular, still very little knowledge about fracture toughness and fatigue properties of bones, and the effect of microstructure on fracture characteristics of bones. Therefore fracture toughness of various parts of bovine and swine compact bones were investigated with relating microstructures in this study. Microstructures of bovine and swine's humeral and femoral compact bones are able to be divided into plexiform bone with cores of nonlamellar bone and lamellar bones between nonlamellar bones and haversian bone with osteons. The fracture toughness value is greater in the plexiform bone with cores of nonlamellar bone and lamellar bones between nonlamellar bones than in the haversian bone with osteons.