Material Properties of the Mandibular Trabecular Bone

The present paper introduces a numerical simulation aided, experimental method for the measurement of Young's modulus of the trabecular substance in the human mandible. Compression tests were performed on fresh cadaveric samples containing trabecular bone covered with cortical layer, thus avoiding the destruction caused by the sterilization, preservation, and storage and the underestimation of the stiffness resulting from the individual failure of the trabeculae cut on the surfaces. The elastic modulus of the spongiosa was determined by the numerical simulation of each compression test using a specimen specific finite element model of each sample. The received mandibular trabecular bone Young's modulus values ranged from 6.9 to 199.5 MPa.