[Transmission of force to the trabecular structures of the proximal end of the femur]

Abstract

Normal use places stress on the femur from different directions and with variable intensity. All these forces are introduced as pressure forces through the cartilage in a trajectory framing cancellous structure whose elements are primarily charged axially with tension and pressure. The effects of these forces on these structures were analyzed with different methods. Often we only looked for single aspects of the introduction the of force or worked with experimentally acquire approximations. To analyze the conditions for an authentic femur, we examined the trabecular structures of a proximal femur with computed tomography. We had some indications that the trabecular structures are not built linearly, as shown by von Meyer, Wolff, Goss and Singh. In our study we found a significant deviation of the epiphyseal trabeculae from the metaphyseal alignment. This makes us believe that even later the area of the former epiphysis plays a certain role in the distribution of supporting structures beneath the charged surface meaning to adapt to the effective stress.