Abstract
Bone has a hierarchical structure from macroscopic to microscopic levels and is often regarded as a composite material consisting of apatite crystals and organic matrix in microscopic scale. Microscopic bone quality changes with age. Recent studies suggest that osteoporosis is not just a simple loss of bone mass, but involves significant changes in the biochemical and physical properties of the collagen matrix. Irradiating high intensity X-ray into bone, both of small angle scattering by collagen matrix and wide angle diffraction by HAp crystals occur simultaneously. In this experiment, both structural changes between collagen matrix and HAp crystals in bone are observed by synchrotron X-ray diffraction in combination with micro-compressive device for dynamic image guided failure assessment. Then the difference of behaviors by aging, the aging effects on structural and mechanical properties of bone will be cleared.
