The effects of tensile-compressive loading mode and microarchitecture on microdamage in human vertebral cancellous bone
Open accessAbstract
The amount of microdamage in bone tissue impairs mechanical performance and may act as a stimulus for bone remodeling. Here we determine how loading mode (tension vs. compression) and microstructure (trabecular microarchitecture, local trabecular thickness, and presence of resorption cavities) influence the number and volume of microdamage sites generated in cancellous bone following a single overload. Twenty paired cylindrical specimens of human vertebral cancellous bone from 10 donors (47–78 years) were mechanically loaded to apparent yield in either compression or tension, and imaged in three dimensions for microarchitecture and microdamage (voxel size 0.7×0.7×5.0 μm3). We found that the overall proportion of damaged tissue was greater (p=0.01) for apparent tension loading (3.9±2.4%, mean±SD) than for apparent compression loading (1.9±1.3%). Individual microdamage sites generated in tension were larger in volume (p<0.001) but not more numerous (p=0.64) than sites in compression. For both loading modes, the proportion of damaged tissue varied more across donors than with bone volume fraction, traditional measures of microarchitecture (trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, etc.), apparent Young׳s modulus, or strength. Microdamage tended to occur in regions of greater trabecular thickness but not near observable resorption cavities. Taken together, these findings indicate that, regardless of loading mode, accumulation of microdamage in cancellous bone after monotonic loading to yield is influenced by donor characteristics other than traditional measures of microarchitecture, suggesting a possible role for tissue material properties.
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More microdamage is found in regions with low volume fraction and high SMI, indicating a predominance of trabecular rods.
“For example, more microdamage is found in regions with low volume fraction and high SMI—indicating a predominance of trabecular rods (110, 111).”
From Bone Mechanical Properties in Healthy and Diseased States (2018) · cites this paper as [110]
The Results report more microdamage in specimens with lower bone volume fraction and higher SMI, consistent with a more rod-like structure—but only under compressive loading. The claim describes regions without that loading qualification; the paper measured these associations across whole specimens and found no corresponding bone-volume-fraction association under tensile loading. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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- Authors
- Lambers, F. M., Bouman, A. R., Tkachenko, E. V., Keaveny, T. M., & Hernandez, C. J.
- Affiliations
- Cornell University (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Hospital for Special Surgery (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hernandez, Christopher J.
- Venue
- Journal of Biomechanics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-11
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 15
- Pages
- 3605-3612
- ISSN
- 0021-9290 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4303531
- OpenAlex
- W2110148587
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 4.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Biomechanics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- National Institutes of Health (AR057362, 8U42OD011158-22)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Bone health and osteoporosis research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Bone fractures and treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Orthopaedic implants and arthroplasty
- Keywords
- microdamage, vertebral cancellous bone, tensile loading, compressive loading, trabecular bone microarchitecture, trabecular thickness, bone microarchitecture, donor variability, bone material properties, bone remodeling
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Biomechanical Phenomena, Bone and Bones, Bone Resorption, Female, Humans, Lumbar Vertebrae, Male, Middle Aged, Pressure, Stress, Mechanical, Tensile Strength, Weight-Bearing, Bone Remodeling, Elastic Modulus
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