Narrow Results

In this paper, we continue our work on the propagation of Lamb waves in a poroelastic infinite strip containing a linear crack. In the previous work, the crack was placed horizontal to the upper and lower surfaces and moreover, there was zero pressure on the upper and lower surfaces, a physically impossible situation. In the present paper, the crack is situated perpendicular to the side and situated at the origin. A step stress is applied to the crack surface resulting in transient behavior. By using the Fourier transform and Laplace transform methods, we arrive at dual integral equations. From this formulation, we subsequently obtain, by reduction, a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. This equation is solved numerically, and the dynamic stress intensity factor is shown graphically.

This work describes the preliminary results of an ongoing study, that aims to obtain relationships between the experimentally determined mechanical properties of trabecular bone of the human femoral head and the morphometric parameters evaluated by microCT.

Thirteen cylindrical samples of human trabecular bone were extracted from the femoral head of thirteen patients. They were examined by microCT and then mechanically tested in compression along the main axis observable in the trabeculae. After mechanical testing, the ash density of the samples was determined.

Linear relationships were found between ash density and the bone volume fraction (R² = 0.83), elastic modulus and bone volume fraction (R² = 0.72), ultimate stress and bone volume fraction (R² = 0.81), in agreement with what reported in literature.

The described protocol will be used to investigate trabecular bone samples collected from patients with different pathologies.