Mechanisms of Large Tensile Stiffness and High Fracture Strength of Bone

    Authors

    B. Chen; D. G. Yin; J. H. Gou; Q. Yuan;Z. L. Zhang

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Comput. Theor. Nanosci.

    Keywords

    Bone; Bioceramic Composite; Hydroxyapatite Sheet Fibers; Tensile; Stiffness; Fracture Strength; HUMAN CORTICAL BONE; TOUGHNESS; CRACKS; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology; Materials; Science, Multidisciplinary; Physics, Applied; Physics, Condensed Matter

    Abstract

    Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation shows that a fibula bone is a kind of bioceramic composite consisting of hydroxyapatite crystal layers and mineral collagen-protein matters. The hydroxyapatite crystal layers are further composed of hydroxyapatite sheet fibers. It is also found that the hydroxyapatite sheet fibers have quite large volume fraction and very small cross section size in the bone. The thickness of the sheet fibers is within nanometer scale. The mechanisms of the large tensile stiffness and the high fracture strength of the bone are investigated based on the microstructural characteristics of the hydroxyapatite sheet fibers and the theories of the composite mechanics and fracture mechanics. The investigated results reveal that the large volume fraction and the small cross section size of the hydroxyapatite sheet fibers endow the bone with large tensile stiffness and high fracture strength.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience

    Volume

    10

    Issue/Number

    6

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1425

    Last Page

    1428

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000321600700020

    ISSN

    1546-1955

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