Stress Deformation and Fluid Pressure of Bone Specimens under Cyclic Loading

Cyclic loading has been known to induce fluid flow and thus mechanotransduction in bones. In the past, four-point bending tests have been used exclusively in studying fluid flow in bones. In order to better understand the mechanism of deformation and fluid flow under loading, compression tests were done on trabecular bone specimens under drained and undrained conditions. In the drained tests, the volume change was observed, whereas in the undrained tests, excess pore fluid pressure was measured. Cyclic loading tests were conducted in addition to monotonic loading tests to observe the permanent volume change or excess pore fluid pressure with loading cycles. A fast loading rate gave a sharp rise in the excess fluid pressure compared to a slow loading rate. The strength and stiffness of the specimens appeared to deteriorate with an increased speed of loadings, but there was no appreciable difference between the results obtained from drained and undrained tests. The drained and undrained tests as described allowed a better understanding of bone behavior under loadings for a coupled stress-flow analysis.