Residual stress in bone structure and tissue of rabbit's tibiofibula.

This paper presents an X-ray diffraction method of measuring the residual stress/strain in bone tissue of rabbit's tibia. To derive the residual stress, bone powder of the diameter less than 40 micrometers was used as a control specimen at non-stressed state. From the X-ray measurements, it was clear that the distribution of residual stress existed in the bone tissue. The tensile residual stress at bone axial direction occurred in the proximal-medial region of rabbit's tibia. The compressive stress occurred in the other regions. In addition, the mechanism to generate the residual stress was investigated by sequential cutting of the tibiofibula system from bone structure scale to bone tissue scale. The remodeling is a phenomenon that the bone structure adapts functionally to mechanical environment. The residual stress will become a mechanical trigger to induce the remodeling.