Bone architecture could inspire stronger aircraft wings

Density has long been the benchmark for gauging bone strength, with X-rays used to pinpoint strong and weak points as well as detect breaks. While the amount of load a bone can take is largely determined by density, durability over time is less well understood. Using new software, researchers from Cornell University explored the internal architecture of bone to determine what factors influenced long-term fatigue through cyclic loading. 

Bone consists of vertical struts that provide structural integrity under load, as well as horizontal struts that, until now, were thought to have little influence on strength. But the Cornell analysis found that far from being superfluous, these horizontal struts were in fact the key to bone longevity over time. The work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.