FR (continued)

Bone morphology here, as the blog is deep into laying out an exercise schematic to optimize fracture resistance (FR) and providing substantiation for a conclusion to be posted here presumably sometime in the foreseeable future. Never mind that it's taken almost two years to get to minimums of 4f in :12.5s at "x" number of times per month. The "x" is next!

The nooks and crannies of this proved elusive due to lack of available (free) research, but, suddenly the Max Planck Institut provided some real live research both seeming to support much prior guess work, and leading to some previously unpredicted directions.

So, with this post I'll get on with it, and apologize in advance for the highly technical nature. I am visualizing Todd Plecher going forth into his next Derby prep with full understanding of "fibril arrays". For skeptics, it's going to happen one of these years!

So, where was this? Planck's lab--analyzing fibril arrays from the smallest microscopic structure to the next larger, and so on. They call this "hierarchical" analysis.

How so? "We employ different continuum micromechanics" to various materials, collagen and so on. These people are physicists. They establish models, and calculate by computer simulation(note the various mathematical formulas set out in the Planck piece). Out the other end come the conclusions:..."different mineralization scenarios are tested...(we) establish how the fraction of extrafibrillar minerals evolve with overall mineralization"...etc.

With this back ground, down to serious business:

1. Collagen-water composite inside the molecule. Within the mineralized collagen fibrils are collagen molecules arranged in staggered fashion. This "molecular packing" is quasi hexagonal with the intermolecular spaces being filled with water and bone glue. Hmmm.

Bears rereading. Bone glue proteins, which we know liberally coat the outside of the fibrils, are also within the fibril itself binding the individual collagen molecules together! I'm thinking possibly the exercise program change this ratio of water to glue withing the fibril for the better(!)?

The interior of the fibril the is composed of:

molecules
water
bone glue

which are held together by chemical-physical bonding between glue and hydrogen bonds resulting from the water.

And so, we have some understanding how our horse's bone molecules are held together.

Next the above material is put under (simulated) pressure:

various mathematical formulas apply to measure the "isotropic stiffness tensor" exposed to certain "shear moduli" of the above material.

Continue, next post.

Training:
Tues. 12/22: Off after last two days of speed work.
Wed. 12/23: Before the coming weather, we're able to get in one more of riderless speed work. The horses handle the medium mud very well. Unable to tack gallop in December due wet conditions, but, somehow up to 12/23 we've managed consistent riderless training that puts us way way ahead of December 2008. This date: 1/2 mile spurts in the mud as fast as they could go. Probably did 7 to 8 of these with short 60 second rests between.
Thurs. 12/24-Sat. 12/26 off due to 8 inches of snow.