Abstract Summary
The formation of a micro-damage process zone (MDPZ) ahead of cracks in cortical bone increases its fracture resistance. How extensive this MDPZ forms, is therefore vital to bone's fracture toughness. Using a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) approach, a finite element (FE) model was built to simulate the MDPZ formation ahead of a crack tip in bovine femoral bone and validated against experimental data. It was found that CDM provides a reliable means of modelling MDPZ formation in cortical bone fracture.