Abstract
According to the classical theory of functional structure of bone which was developed by J. Wolff (1884, 1892) and W. Roux (1895) following the investigations of the functional architecture of the substantia spongiosa by H. von Meyer (1867), bone is “functionally” laid down in gross form as well as in minute architecture in accordance with the “maximum-minimum-law”. As a result of functional adaptation, a maximum of efficiency is achieved with a minimum of material (Kummer, 1962a). In this sense functional adaptation is a reaction of adaptation of the idiotype—within the bounds of the reaction norm—to a changed internal environment, that is in this case an adaptation to changed mechanical stresses.
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© 1971 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Amtmann, E. (1971). Introduction. In: Mechanical Stress, Functional Adaptation and the Variation Structure of the Human Femur Diaphysis. Ergebnisse der Anatomie und Entwicklungsgeschichte / Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology / Revues d’anatomie et de morphologie expérimentale, vol 44/3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65230-1_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65230-1_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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