Crack Propagation in Cortical Bone: A Numerical Study

The fracture behavior of human bone is an interesting field of research for medical scientists, which are interested in predicting the fracture risk, but also for engineers, which are interested in mimicking bone structure in the design of new materials. To understand this phenomenon and to be able to make predictions, many numerical techniques are currently adopted, with the goal of reaching different length scales. In this paper we present a numerical study of the microstructure of human bone, via a cohesive-based X-FEM approach. A single osteon model is developed to investigate the mechanisms of crack propagation and the role played by the mechanical properties of the micro-structural constituents, and in particular by the cement line. The latter has shown to strongly affect the crack path, by acting as a barrier and arresting or preventing a continuous crack propagation, and causing a deviation, leading to an increase in the fracture energy.