Strength Criterion for Bovine Tibial Trabecular Bone under Multiaxial Stress

Abstract

Multiaxial stress state often occurs in trabecular bone under both physiological and pathological loads. Thus development of multiaxial strength criterion for trabecular bone is important for predicting bone failure in many clinical situations. In the present study, strength behavior of bovine trabecular bone was evaluated under multiaxial stress. Butterfly shaped trabecular bone specimens taken from bovine proximal tibias were glued to a specially designed test device to achieve uniform and plane stress state. Then they were loaded in on- or off-axis direction to produce pure shear or tensile-shear stress state. Experimental results were compared with the orthotropic Tsai-Wu and the isotropic Mises criteria to discuss their applicability for trabecular bone.