Periosteum Fracture Bone Strength THE MECHANICAL ROLE OF THE PERIOSTEUM ON THE IMPACT RESISTANCE OF BONE

Introduction: The role of periosteum in the blood supply of bones has been investigated by several investigators [5]. Its osteogenic potential, particularly its important role in fracture repair, is also well recognized [1, 3]. However, the biomechanical role of periosteum in the fracture behavior of bones has not been studied in detail. Although the periosteum is expected to be resistant to tensilon due to its high collagen content, a previous study has shown that it does not significantly increase the resistance to fracture in bending of diaphyseal bones [2]. However, these tests were carried out in a quasi-static loading mode. Loading rate has a profound effect on the behavior of viscoelastic materials, such as ligaments and tendons [4]. It was our hypothesis that the high rate of loading associated with the impact would enhance the mechanical contribution of the periosteal tissue, leading to significant deviations from the mechanical behavior determined with simple quasi-static testing. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of periosteum on the fracture behavior of bones subjected to an impact load. As the periosteum becomes thicker in the metaphysis compared to the diaphysis, bone specimens from both of these regions were tested separately.