Material properties and osteoporosis [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
Eleftherios P. Paschalis,
Klaus Klaushofer,
Markus A. Hartmann
Affiliations
Eleftherios P. Paschalis
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Centre Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, Heinrich Collin Strasse 30, Vienna, 1140, Austria
Klaus Klaushofer
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Centre Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, Heinrich Collin Strasse 30, Vienna, 1140, Austria
Markus A. Hartmann
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Centre Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, Heinrich Collin Strasse 30, Vienna, 1140, Austria
The main clinical tool for the diagnosis and treatment of skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis is the determination of bone mineral density by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Although this outcome contributes to the determination of bone strength, the clinical evidence to date suggests that it does not correlate strongly with fracture incidence. The main reason for this discrepancy is the fact that several other bone properties, such as material properties, are not taken into account. This short review summarizes the reasons why material properties are important in the determination of bone strength and briefly discusses some of them as well as their influence on bone’s mechanical performance.
