Abstract

This book relates the mechanical and structural properties of bone to its function in man and other vertebrates. John Currey, one of the pioneers of modern bone research, reviews existing information in the field and particularly emphasizes the correlation of the structure of bone with its various uses. In a book that will be an indispensable teaching tool, he provides valua ble critiques of a number of theories regarding bone, e.g., elastic similarity, the stimulus for remodeling, and conditions leading to bone failure in animals. The work is composed of introductory sections on mechanical propertie s of materials and bone structure, and major sections on the mechanical properties of bone; the limits of the mechanical properties of bone; the shapes of bones (including cancellous bone); articulations; consideration of how bones, tendons, and muscles interact; safety factors and scaling effects in bones; and construction and reconstruction. Klappentext