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2016
Journal Article
Title
Bone Fracture: Parallels to Polymer Fatigue
Abstract
Based on electron microscopic investigations, initial stages of microcrack formation and growth in bone are described as craze-like phenomena. The comparison of micro- and nanoscopic processes of deformation and fracture induced under different experimental conditions give rise to the conclusion that crazing is a fundamental micromechanical process during bone damage and fracture. Although there are striking similarities to crazes in polymeric materials, craze formation and growth in bone is strongly influenced by the morphology of the main building blocks of the bone matrix, i.e., the mineralized collagen fibrils, as well as by the significant anisotropy of bone architecture.