Measurement of thermal conductivity of bovine cortical bone

The thermal conductivity of cortical bone was characterized experimentally. Specimens were taken from the mid-diaphysis of bovine femora, and the rate of heat transfer was measured in three orthogonal directions. The conducti vity was found to be 0.58 +/-0.018 W/mK in the longitudinal direction, 0.53 +/-0.030 W/mK in the circumferential direction, and 0.54 +/-0.020 W/mK in the radial direction. Because the directional differences are small, it is concluded that bovine cortical bone can be treated as thermally isotropic. (C) 2001 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.