Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Damage and Fatigue

  • Chapter
Book cover Collagen

Abstract

Collagenous tissues can, inevitably, be damaged and broken by overload, but they are also susceptible to the prolonged application of a lesser load. The majority of studies are for bone with tendon in the second place. This chapter therefore concentrates on these tissues. Test variables which can effect the time-to-rupture include the applied stress, the frequency and the temperature. A knowledge of the stresses which arise in life helps to put the results of in vitro tests into perspective.

The concepts and quantities used to characterize the fracture and fatigue behavior of materials are based on an understanding of the initiation and propagation of cracks. These concepts and quantities were first applied to metals, but their use has been extended to other materials, including, among collagenous tissues, bone and dentin. However, the anisotropy and inhomogeneity of these tissue mean that caution must be used in assessing the results. Tendons are far more strikingly anisotropic and the standard techniques of Fracture Mechanics for studying crack propagation are not appropriate.

The fatigue behavior of tendon and bone illustrates the idea that load-bearing biological structures are built to be only just adequate for their function. “Just adequate” includes allowance for routine repair of non-symptomatic damage. This balance of damage and repair seems to be part of the control mechanism by which biological tissues are maintained by their cells in a viable state throughout life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Anderson TL (2005) Fracture mechanics: fundamentals and applications. 3rd ed. Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Bellucci G, Seedhom BB (2001) Mechanical behaviour of articular cartilage under tensile cyclic load. Rheumatology 40:1337–1345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertram JEA, Gosline JM (1986) Fracture toughness design in horse hoof keratin. J Exp Biol 125:29–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonfield W, Datta PK (1976) Fracture toughness of compact bone. J Biomech 9:131–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caler WE, Carter DR (1989) Bone creep-fatigue damage accumulation. J Biomech 22:625–635

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter DR, Caler WE (1983) Cycle-dependent and time-dependent bone fracture with repeated loading. J Biomech Eng 105:166–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter DR, Caler WE (1985) A cumulative damage model for bone fracture. J Orthop Res 3:84–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter DR, Hayes WC (1976) Fatigue life of compact bone. I. Effects of stress amplitude, temperature and density. J Biomech 9:27–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currey JD (2002) Bones: structure and mechanics. 2^nd ed. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currey JD (2004) Tensile yield in compact bone is determined by strain, post-yield behaviour by mineral content. J Biomech 37:549–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davison PF (1989) The contribution of labile crosslinks to the tensile behaviour of tendons. Conn Tissue Res 18:293–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deakin AH (2006) The mechanical and morphological properties of normal and rheumatoid human forearm tendons. PhD thesis, The University of Strathclyde

    Google Scholar 

  • Eppell SJ, Smith BN, Kahn H, Ballarini R (2006) Nano measurement with micro-devices: mechanical properties of hydrated collagen fibrils. J R Soc Interface 3:117–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans FG, Lebow M (1957) Strength of human compact bone under repetitive loading. J App Physiol 10:127–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Grashow JS, Sacks MS, Liao J, Yoganathan AP (2006) Planar biaxial creep and stress relaxation of the mitral valve anterior leaflet. Annals Biomed Eng 34:1509–1518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith AA (1921) The phenomena of rupture and flow in solids. Philos Trans R Soc A 221:163–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irwin GR (1956) Onset of fast crack propagation in high strength steel and aluminium alloys. In Proceedings of the second Sagamore Conference, Syracuse University, New York, 2:289–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Irwin GR (1957) Analysis of stresses and strains near the end of a crack traversing a plane. J App Mech 24:361–364

    Google Scholar 

  • Ker RF (2007) Mechanics of tendon, from an engineering perspective. Int J Fatigue 29:1001–1009

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Ker RF, Zioupos P (1997) Creep and fatigue damage of mammalian tendon and bone. Comments Theor Biol 4:151–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Ker RF, Alexander RMcN, Bennett MB (1988) Why are tendons so thick? J Zool Lond. 216: 309–324

    Google Scholar 

  • Ker RF, Wang XT, Pike AVL (2000) Fatigue quality of mammalian tendons. J Exp Biol 203:1317–1327

    Google Scholar 

  • Klompen ETJ, Engels TAP, Van Breeman LCA, Schreurs PJG, Govaert LE, Meijer HEH (2005) Quantitative prediction of long-term failure of polycarbonate. Macromolecules 38:7009–7017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruzic JJ, Ritchie RO (2008) Fatigue of mineralized tissues: cortical bone and dentin. J Mech Biomed Mat 1:3–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mach KJ, Nelson DV, Denny MW (2007a) Techniques for predicting the lifetimes of wave-swept macroalgae: a primer on fracture mechanics and crack growth. J Exp Biol 210:2213–2230

    Google Scholar 

  • Mach KJ, Hale BB, Denny MW, Nelson DV (2007b) Death by small forces: a fracture and fatigue analysis of wave-swept macroalgae. J Exp Biol 210:2231–2243

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin B (1995) Mathematical model for repair of fatigue damage and stress fracture in osteonal bone. J Orthop Res 13:209–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nalla RK, Imbeni V, Kinney JH, Staninec M, Marshall SJ, Ritchie RO (2003) In vitro fatigue behaviour of human dentin with implications for life prediction. J Biomed Mat Res Part A 66A:10–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nalla RK, Kruzic JJ, Kinney JH, Ritchie RO (2005) Aspects of in vitro fatigue in cortical bone: time and cycle dependent crack growth. Biomaterials 26:2183–2195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nalla RK, Kruzic JJ, Kinney JH, Balooch M, Ager JW, Ritchie RO (2006) Role of microstructure in the aging-related deterioration of the toughness of human cortical bone. Mat Sci Eng C 26:1251–1260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norman TL, Vashishth D, Burr DB (1995) Fracture toughness of human bone under tension. J Biomech 28: 309–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris PC, Gomez, MP, Anderson WP (1961) A rational analytic theory of fatigue. Trends Eng 13: 9–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Pike AVL, Ker RF, Alexander RMcN (2000) The development of fatigue quality in high- and low-stressed tendons of sheep (Ovis Aries). J Exp Biol 203:2187–2193

    Google Scholar 

  • Prendergast PJ, Taylor D (1994) Prediction of bone adaptation using damage accumulation. J Biomech 27:1067–1076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice JR (1968) A path independent integral and the approximate analysis of strain concentrations by notches and cracks. J App Mech 35: 379–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Reilly DT, Burstein AH (1975) The elastic and ultimate properties of compact bone tissue. J Biomech 8:393–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rimnac CM, Petko AA, Santner TJ, Wright TM (1993) The effect of temperature, stress and microstructure on the creep of compact bone. J Biomech 26:219–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie RO, Kinney JH, Kruzic JJ, Nalla RK (2005) A fracture mechanics and mechanistic approach to the failure of cortical bone. Fatigue Fract Engng Mater Struct 28:345–371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schechtman H, Bader DL (1997) In vitro fatigue of human tendons. J Biomech 30:829–835

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwab TD, Johnston CR, Oxland TR, Thornton GM (2007) Continuum damage mechanics (CDM) modelling demonstrates that ligament fatigue damage accumulates by different mechanisms than creep damage. J Biomech 40:3279–3284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sedman AJ (1993) Mechanical failure of bone and antler: the accumulation of damage. D.Phil thesis, University of York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shelton DR, Martin RB, Stover SM, Gibeling JC (2003) Transverse crack propagation behaviour in equine cortical bone. J Mat Sci 38:3501–3508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stella JA, Liao J, Sacks MS (2007) Time-dependent biaxial mechanical behaviour of the aortic valve leaflet. J Biomech 40:3169–3177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suresh (1998) Fatigue of Materials. 2^nd edit. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor D, Hazenberg JG, Lee TC (2003a) A cellular transducer in damage-staimulated bone remodelling: a theoretical investigation. J Theor Biol 225;65–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor D, O’Reilly P, Valet L, Lee TC (2003b) Fatigue strength of compact bone in torsion. J Biomech 36:1103–1109

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor D, Hazenberg JG, Lee TC (2007) Living with cacks: damage and repair in human bone. Nat Mater 6:263–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teoh SH, Cherry BW (1984) Creep rupture of a linear polythene. I. Rupture and pre-rupture phenomena. Polymer 25:727–734

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorton GM, Schwab TD, Oxland TR (2007) Fatigue is more damaging than creep revealed by modulus reduction and residual strength. Ann Biomed Eng 35:1713–1721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vashishth D (2004) Rising crack-growth-resistance behaviour in cortical bone: implications for toughness measurements. J Biomech 37:943–946

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vashishth D (2007) Hierarchy of bone microdamage at multiple length scales. Int J Fatigue 29:1024–1033

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XT, Ker RF (1995) The creep rupture of wallaby tail tendons. J Exp Biol 198:831–845

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang XT, Ker RF, Alexander, RMcN (1995) Fatigue rupture of wallaby tail tendons. J Exp Biol 198:847–852

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells SM, Sellaro T, Sacks MS (2005) Cyclic loading response of bioprosthetic heart valves: effects of fixation state on the collagen fiber architecture. Biomaterials 26:2611–2619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winwood, K, Zioupos P, Currey JD, Cotton JR, Taylor M (2006) Strain patterns during tensile, compressive and shear fatigue of human cortical bone and implications for bone biomechanics. J Biomed Mat 79A:289–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wren TAL, Lindsey DP, Beaupré GS (2003) Effects of creep and cyclic loading on the mechanical properties and failure of human Achilles tendon. Ann Biomed Eng 31:710–717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright TM, Hayes WC (1976) The fracture mechanics of fatigue crack propagation in compact cortical bone. J Biomed Mat Res 10:637–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan J, Mecholsky JJ, Clifton KB (2007) How tough is bone? Applciation of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics to bone. Bone 40:279–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zioupos P, Wang XT, Currey, JD (1996) Experimental and theoretical quantification of the development of damage in fatigue tests of bone and antler. J Biomech 29:989–1002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zioupos P, Currey, JD (1998) Changes in the stiffness, strength and toughness of human cortical bone with age. Bone 33:57–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zioupos P, Currey JD, Casinos A (2001) Tensile fatigue in bone: are cycles-, or time to failure, or both, important? J Theor Biol 210: 389–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. R.F. Ker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany

    Peter Fratzl

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ker, R. (2008). Damage and Fatigue. In: Fratzl, P. (eds) Collagen. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73906-9_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73906-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-73905-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-73906-9

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation