Determining Effective Centroid Position in Biomechanical Testing: A Technique for Simplifying Whole Bone Analysis

Background: Whole bone in vitro biomechanical compressive testing can be complicated by three factors: sample asymmetry, heterogeneous material properties, and unknown effective centroid location. Method of approach: The technique presented here facilitates the calculation of effective centroid position, modulus of elasticity and equivalent uniform strain magnitude for a cross section of bone from a simple whole bone compressive test. Simplification of section response to load is achieved through a combination of linear beam and simple planer geometry theory. The technique requires three longitudinal strain gauges be affixed around the test specimen cross section of interest, gauge position need not be determined. Sample loading is then accomplished using a simple four point loading jig. Results: Results of the technique are presented on an object with known elasticity and geometry, an aluminium tube, and seven pairs of equine third metacarpal whole bones. Conclusions: Average cross section modulus of elasticity, equivalent uniform cross section strain, and effective centroid locations were all predicted to within the range of published values. Employing the testing setup and analysis technique presented in this paper resulted in a significant savings in both implementation complexity and cost over previously available techniques.