title: Measurement of thermal conductivity of bovine cortical bone.
abstract: 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 conductivity 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada M5S 3G8.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016880:Anisotropy; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D004867:Equipment Design; D005269:Femur; D006358:Hot Temperature; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D013814:Thermal Conductivity