| 03-1) BIOMECHANICS |
Princeton University
Princeton - USA
soboyejo@princeton.edu
TAYLOR, David
University of Dublin
Dublin - Ireland
dtaylor@tcd.ie
TEOH, S.H.
National University of Singapore
Singapore
mpetsh@nus.edu.sg
Abstract
This field includes the fracture of biological materials - especially human body materials such as bone, muscle, cartilage etc, but also any other biological materials with load-bearing properties (wood, shell, etc). It also includes those artificial materials - commonly called biomaterials - which are used to replace parts of the human body in implants, prostheses etc. The understanding and prediction of fracture in living materials presents some unique challenges due to the special nature of their micro- and nano-structures and the fact that, being alive, these materials can be self-repairing. An understanding of deformation and fracture behaviour is essential to the design of suitable replacement materials.