Simple constitutive model for a cortical bone.

This short study presents a simple, one-dimensional constitutive model for the cortical bone with haversian structure. The model is developed within the general framework of the continuum damage theory. The kinetic equation is derived (rather than assumed a priori) through consideration of the irreversible changes of the mesostructure. As a consequence the analytical results closely approximate experimental measurements even though the theory does not introduce a single experimentally unidentifiable material parameter.