Abstract
This work aims at evaluating the elastic modulus of hard biological tissues by considering their staggered platelet micro-structure. An analytical expression for the effective modulus along the stagger direction is formulated using three non-dimensional structural variables. Structures with a single staggered hierarchy (e.g. collagen fibril) are first studied and predictions are compared with the experimental results and finite element simulations from the literature. A more complicated configuration, such as an array of fibrils, is analyzed next. Finally, a mechanical model is proposed for tooth dentin, in which variations in the multi-scale structural hierarchy are shown to significantly affect the macroscopic mechanical properties.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 672-678 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Biomechanics |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 23 Feb 2012 |
Keywords
- Bio-composites
- Bio-mechanics
- Nano-composites
- Staggered structures
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Biophysics
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation