Stiff and strong compressive properties are associated with brittle post‐yield behavior in equine compact bone material

Our hypothesis was that post‐yield mechanical behavior of compact bone material in compression, defined as the stress, strain, or energy absorbed between 0.2% strain‐offset and the point of maximum stress, is correlated with material density, modulus, strength, histomorphometric evidence of remodeling, and post‐failure gross specimen morphology. Post‐yield behavior of compact bone material from the third metacarpal bone of 10 horses, ages 5 months to 20 years, was investigated using single‐load compression‐to‐failure. The post‐yield stress, strain, and absorbed energy were compared with the compressive elastic modulus, yield stress, ash density, post‐failure macroscopic appearance of the specimen, and histologic evidence of remodeling. High values of elastic modulus, yield stress, and ash density were associated with low values of post‐yield mechanical properties (stress, strain, and absorbed energy).