Output details
15 - General Engineering
University College London
Changes in the structural and material properties of the tibia in patients with spinal cord injury.
Both the material and structural properties of the tibia in SCI patients were studied, at sites at which are known to be at high risk of fracture. The significance of the work is twofold: firstly, the thickness of the cortices were significantly reduced at common sites of fracture, suggesting that cortical thickness is more important than trabecular bone density in predicting fracture risk; secondly, there were variations in the material properties as well, indicating that bone can also adapt to external loads by changing the local composition. This now provides a basis for developing new countermeasures to minimise bone loss.