Experimental Characterization of the Mechanical Properties of Bovine Cortical Bone: Influence of Compression Axes and Experimental Conditions

From a structural standpoint, bone is a dense and intricate tissue, highly vascularized, that undergoes continuous renewal to adapt to both mechanical and metabolic needs. It is categorized into two types based on its development: long bones, which form from cartilage, and flat bones, which develop through membranous ossification. This research focuses on creating a novel technique for extracting samples for compression testing directly from a bovine femur. A total of 47 cubic cortical specimens, aligned with the femur’s mechanical axis, were obtained. The compression tests demonstrated notable differences in mechanical properties based on the loading axis, as well as varied failure patterns within the same sample groups. Three distinct failure types were observed: brittle failure under pure compression, shear failure at a [Formula: see text] angle, and shear failure at a [Formula: see text] angle. The proposed method enables the extraction of specimens: oriented in any desired direction (anatomical axis, neck, etc.); from any type of bone (femur, tibia, skull, vertebra, etc.); of either cancellous or cortical composition.