Prediction of bending strength of long bones from measurements of bending stiffness and bone mineral content.

The relationship between fracture strength in bending, bending stiffness and bone mineral content for 56 fresh canine radii, ulnae and tibiae was determined from three- and four-point bending tests on a MTS testing machine and from measurements of bone mineral content at the fracture site using the Norland-Cameron Bone Mineral Analyzer. The high correlation of bending stiffness (0.962) and mineral content (0.901) with fracture bending moment permits estimates of fracture strength using current noninvasive methods of measuring stiffness and mineral content.