TY - JOUR AU - Rudman, KE AU - Aspden, RM AU - Meakin, JR PY - 2006 DA - 2006/02/20 TI - Compression or tension? The stress distribution in the proximal femur JO - BioMedical Engineering OnLine SP - 12 VL - 5 IS - 1 AB - Questions regarding the distribution of stress in the proximal human femur have never been adequately resolved. Traditionally, by considering the femur in isolation, it has been believed that the effect of body weight on the projecting neck and head places the superior aspect of the neck in tension. A minority view has proposed that this region is in compression because of muscular forces pulling the femur into the pelvis. Little has been done to study stress distributions in the proximal femur. We hypothesise that under physiological loading the majority of the proximal femur is in compression and that the internal trabecular structure functions as an arch, transferring compressive stresses to the femoral shaft. SN - 1475-925X UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-925X-5-12 DO - 10.1186/1475-925X-5-12 ID - Rudman2006 ER -