Cortical Bone Mechanics and Composition: Effects of Age and Gender - Skeletal Aging and Osteoporosis: Biomechanics and Mechanobiology - page 52

Cortical Bone Mechanics and Composition:
Effects of Age and Gender

Xiaodu Wang

Abstract Bone fragility fractures are a major health care concern for postmenopausal
women and the elderly of both genders. Postmenopausal and age-related osteoporosis/
osteopenia is a major contributor to the risk of such fractures. Since cortical bone is
the major load bearing tissue, the effects of age, gender, and pathological changes on
the mechanical competence of cortical bone tissues have been of great interest to bone
researchers. This chapter provides the information on the current understanding of
the micro/ultrastructural and compositional properties and their contribution to the
bulk mechanical (elastic, plastic, and viscous) behavior of cortical bone tissues.
In addition, the effect of age and gender on the structural/compositional properties and
their impacts on the mechanical competence of cortical bone are also discussed.

Keywords Cortical bone Elasticity Plasticity Bone strength Aging Gender

1 Introduction

Structurally, bone functions as a load bearing tissue to support and protect the
human body for daily physical activities. Bone can be classified into two types:
cortical and trabecular. Cortical bone is a dense tissue that makes up about 80% of
the mass of the skeleton, and is found primarily in the shafts of long bones, the
outer shell at the ends of joints, the vertebrae and ribs. Trabecular bone has a
porous structure and is located in medullary cavities at the ends of long bones and
the interior of short bones such as ribs and vertebrae [ 1 ].

X. Wang ( )

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio,
One UTSA Circlet, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
e-mail: [e-mail]

&