(micro-CT) imaging, and voxel-based finite element modeling to detect trabecular bone microdamage and microfracture and estimate the associated microstructural stresses and strains. METHODS Cylindrical reduced-section specimens were prepared from skeletally mature bovine proximal tibial trabecular bone

INTRODUCTION The onset of trabecular bone damage is a local phenomenon, governed by tissue-level material properties, and architecture at the initiation site. Different modes of microfracture (bending, buckling, and shearing) and microdamage (single, parallel, and cross-hatched cracks) can occur [1]. The initiation of bone damage can lead to two scenarios. In the first case, normal repair processes and/or bone remodeling result in replacement of the damaged region without loss of structural integrity. However, an accumulation of unrepaired microdamage with age or disease may increase bone fragility and lead to bone fracture. Although trabecular bone microdamage has great clinical relevance, the microstructural stresses and strains associated with local failure within trabecular bone are not well known. A better understanding of local mechanisms of bone failure is important to the improvement of fracture risk assessment and the development of therapies for bone fragility diseases such as osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to use histological damage labeling, microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) imaging, and voxel-based finite element modeling to detect trabecular bone microdamage and microfracture and estimate the associated microstructural stresses and strains.