Tensile material properties of human rib cortical bone under quasi-static and dynamic failure loading and inuence of the bone microstucture on failure characteristics

Abstract

Finite element models of the thorax are being developed to assist engineers and vehicle safety researchers with the design and validation of countermeasures such as advanced restrain systems. Computational models have become more rened with increasing geometrical complexity as element size decreases. These nite element models can now capture small geometrical features with an attempt to predict fracture. However, the bone material properties currently available, and in particular the rate sensitivity, have been mainly determined from compression tests or tests on long bones. There is a need for a new set of material properties for the human rib cortical bone. With this objective, a new clamping technique was developed