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Four-Point Bending Testing for Mechanical Assessment of Mouse Bone Structural Properties

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Skeletal Development and Repair

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2230))

Abstract

One of the primary functions of bone is to support the skeleton by withstanding load. In the diseased state, bone’s ability to perform this function is altered. Quantification of the features of bone that support its functional behavior, and how they may change with disease, is accomplished through mechanical testing. As such, mechanical testing is a useful tool for scientists studying orthopedic-related diseases. Furthermore, a common animal model used to investigate disease and its treatment is the mouse. Therefore, in this chapter we (1) describe central concepts of mechanical testing, (2) describe factors that influence the mechanical behavior of bone, and (3) describe the application of a widely used mechanical testing technique, four-point bending, to the mouse bone for characterization of its structural properties.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Hattie C. Cutcliffe & Louis E. DeFrate

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Louis E. DeFrate

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Louis E. DeFrate

Authors
  1. Hattie C. Cutcliffe
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  2. Louis E. DeFrate
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Louis E. DeFrate .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Cell Biology, Duke Cellular, Developmental, and Genome Laboratories, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA

    Matthew J. Hilton

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Cutcliffe, H.C., DeFrate, L.E. (2021). Four-Point Bending Testing for Mechanical Assessment of Mouse Bone Structural Properties. In: Hilton, M.J. (eds) Skeletal Development and Repair. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2230. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1028-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1028-2_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-1027-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-1028-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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