my research is focused on bone biomechanics, in particular
I am interested in the ultrastructural organization of bone and how this
organization results in a strong and tough nanocomposite material (the so-called
bone matrix material properties). the main motivation for this work is osteoporosis,
a disease that affects every second woman after menopause. osteoporosis itself
is a systemic skeletal disease that results in a decrease of bone mass and
a concomitant increase in fracture risk. the only diagnostic tool that is
currently available – dual energy x-ray absorptiommetry or DEXA – can
only account for bone mineral density – BMD. unfortunately a BMD measurement
at only one time-point does not at all give any helpful information. in fact
a fracture risk diagnosis based on such a measurement alone can be up to
90% wrong.
thus I seek to achieve a thorough understanding of bone ultrastructure
and bone matrix material properties in order to provide new routes and
parameters
(among others investigated by other groups) for fracture risk diagnosis.
