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A probabilistic approach to bone fracture analysisa)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Ramana Sadananda
Ramana Sadananda
Affiliation:
8015 Daffodil Court, Springfield, Virginia 22152
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Abstract

Bones are biological structural materials made of dynamically adaptable tissues. They can be considered as complex natural composite materials with load bearing constituents such as osteons and interstitial lamellae cemented with weak bonding materials. In addition, they contain Haversian and Volkmann canals that are functionally needed but are structurally weak. Because of large variation in microstructure, the strength of a bone varies from bone to bone and animal to animal. In this study the applicability of Weibull statistics to fracture strength of bones has been evaluated. The statistics is based on the weakest link theory and has been used successfully for probabilistic design of critical engineering structural components. The analysis shows that the statistics is valid when applied to each type of bone and it differentiates data from different types of bones. The analysis provides an insight in terms of how nature designs its load bearing structures by the process of natural selection.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , January 1991 , pp. 202 - 206
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

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