Femur Biomechanical Testing and Analysis

Whole hydrated femurs (n = 8–12 per group) were loaded to failure in three-point bending in the direction of primary physiological bending (posterior compression) using a Bose Electroforce 3200 test frame as previously described.^{76 (link)} After testing, fracture surface cross-sections were imaged by scanning electron microscopy on a Sigma 500 VP FE-SEM (Zeiss). The endosteal and periosteal cross-sectional diameter and thickness were measured with ImageJ and used to calculate the moment of inertia, assuming an elliptical cross-section for the calculation of material properties from structural parameters.^{89 (link)}