On the issue of studying the structural and mechanical characteristics of bovine cancellous bone

Mechanical experiments with human bones are difficult, so many authors study mechanical parameters of bovine cancellous bone, which is close to human bone in its properties. Studies on estimation of the effective modulus of elasticity of cancellous bone of vertebrae and other bovine bones are known. However, its mechanical properties depending on the direction of loading and structural properties have not been studied yet. The aim of this work was to comprehensively study the mechanical properties of bovine cancellous bone depending on the loading direction, volumetric mineral density and porosity. The objectives of this work were: to develop requirements for the size of samples in uniaxial compression to estimate the effective modulus of elasticity within the framework of the rod theory; to conduct uniaxial mechanical experiments on compression of bone specimens in three directions; to measure the volumetric bone mineral density and porosity; to construct regression relationships linking mechanical and structural properties of cancellous bone. As a result of the study, the dependences linking the effective modulus of elasticity with mineral density, as well as porosity of cancellous bone were revealed. The author's method of determining the porosity of cancellous bone was developed and presented. As a result of the study, the dependences linking the effective modulus of elasticity with mineral density and porosity of cancellous bone were revealed. The author's method of determining the porosity of cancellous bone was developed and presented. The paper also presents the requirements for the relative height (ratio of height to the largest cross-sectional dimension) of cancellous bone specimens. It was revealed that when conducting uniaxial compression experiments and further calculation of the effective modulus of elasticity according to the rod theory, the relative height of the specimens should be at least 5 units.