[Index of the diaphyseal cortex and mechanical strength of the femur in experimental studies].

The mechanical strength at bending was examined in 26 femoral bones prepared from human corpses. The obtained data was compared with the cortical index (CI). The study demonstrates high correlation between CI and mechanical strength of the corpus as well as the collum of the examined bone, which means that CI is a good criterion in assessing biological age of the bone. Our study confirms previously made observations that revealed a considerable usefulness of CI determined in X-rays, for the estimation of osteoporosis advancement in long bones and their mechanical strength.