Is It Possible to Correlate Age Related Time-Dependent Micro Mechanical Properties of Cortical Bone and Its Physico-Chemical Data?

Correlational models between mechanical and physico-chemical properties are of interest for bone modeling and numerical simulations of bone growth and remodeling. Therefore, the aim of this work was to determine if it is possible to correlate mechanical and physic-chemical properties of cortical bone. Micro-mechanical and physico-chemical data were assessed in a rat cortical bone life-span model including samples aged of 1, 4, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months old. Time-dependent mechanical properties at the micro scale including elasticity, viscous properties and hardness were determined using nanoindentation tests. Meanwhile, physico-chemical properties include tissue micro-porosity, mineral, phosphates, carbonates and collagen content were determined using specific techniques for each property. Then, both properties were correlated and the highest matched were used to propose correlational models using multivariable-linear regressions. These initial results show good determinant and correlation coefficients in high agreement with the experimental data. These results could provide new evidences of how physico-chemical properties affect the mechanical response of bone material.