title: A comparison of porosity, fabric and fractal dimension as predictors of the Young's modulus of equine cancellous bone.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the structural parameters of fabric and fractal dimension as predictors of the Young's modulus of equine cancellous bone. Eight 15 mm cubes of cancellous bone were obtained from three equine third metacarpal bones. Young's modulus was determined for the three orthogonal directions. The fabric and fractal dimension were calculated for each of the six exposed faces of each cube. Fractal dimension plus porosity provided a higher explanatory power for Young's modulus (R2 = 78.7%. P < 0.0001) than fabric plus porosity (R2 = 69.2%, P < 0.0001). Fractal dimension was also significantly correlated with fabric (R2 = 53.8%, P < 0.0001). Although this novel method for combining fractal dimension data into a pseudo-directionally dependent predictor of Young's modulus requires further validation over a greater range of porosities and differing cancellous bone tissues, its potential has been demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Metabolic Bone Disease Hull, Royal Hull Hospitals Trust and University of Hull, UK.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Haire
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hodgskinson
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ganney
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Langton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D017709:Fractals; D006736:Horses; D016062:Porosity