Characterization of Three-Dimensional Osteon Geometries in Haversian Cortical Bone Tissue

Cortical bone tissue is the type of bone typically comprising the shafts of long bones (femur, tibia, etc.) and also forming the shell covering the cancellous bone in the bulbous ends of such bones. Numerous studies have been completed aimed at gaining a better understanding of the fundamental relationships between cortical bone microstructure and macroscopic mechanical properties (e.g., Currey, 1988; Hogan, et al., 1994; Martin & Boardman, 1993; McCalden, et al., 1993; Schaffler & Burr, 1988). One of the most basic and common measures of microstructural detail in these kinds of studies is the percent void space, or porosity, within the tissue. Methods have included point counting and computer-based image analysis, but in either case, the porosity is determined from two-dimensional transverse sections. The number of sections studied has varied from one to five.