Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Strength of Bone

Abstract

SURPRISINGLY little attention has been paid to the way in which collagen and apatite, the major components of bone, combine to produce the mechanical properties shown by bone. These properties are not, in fact, what might be expected if the properties of collagen and apatite are the same in bone as they are when considered separately, in bulk.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Martell, C. L., Engineering Materials Handbook (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stanworth, J. E., Physical Properties of Glass (Oxford Univ. Press, 1950).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Morgan, F. R., and Mitton, R. G., J. Soc. Leath. Tr. Chem., 44, 2 (1960).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Smith, J. W., and Walmsley, R., J. Anat (Lond.), 93, 503 (1959).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Stowell, E. Z., and Liu, T. S., J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 9, 242 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Slayter, G., Sci. Amer., 206 (1), 124 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Molnar, Z., Clin. Orthopæd., 17, 38 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CURREY, J. Strength of Bone. Nature 195, 513–514 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/195513a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/195513a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing