Fracture toughness is dependent on bone location - A study of the femoral neck, femoral shaft, and the tibial shaft

The fracture toughness of the right femoral neck, femoral shaft, and tibial shaft of matched cadaveric bones, ages 50 to 90 years, was compared. Resul ts of this study indicate that tensile (G(Ic)) and shear (G(IIc)) fracture toughness vary depending on bone location. The femoral neck has the greates t resistance to crack initiation for both tension and shear loading while t he femoral shaft has the least. The relationship between age and the fractu re toughness of the femoral neck and shaft was investigated. G(c) of the fe moral shaft significantly decreased with age for mode I and was nearly sign ificant for mode II. Fracture toughness of the femoral neck did not change with age for the later decades of life. Implications of these findings are discussed. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.