| orphological and mechanical studies were conducted on the equine hoof wall to help elucidate the relationship between form and function of this complex, hierarchically organized structure. Numerous levels of the morphological hierarchy were investigated to ascertain the functional significance (if any) of each level, and to determine if the presence of any levels reflect manufacturing limitations. Mechanical tests included tensile, fracture and dynamic tests; morphological studies utilized scanning electron, bright field, and polarized light (using both circularly and plane polarized light) microscopy. A universal stage was utilized to permit the accurate determination of fiber orientation in three dimensions.;Mechanical tests indicate that the fracture toughness of hoof wall is independent of loading rate, and the wall is highly resistant to the propagation of cracks initiated in all directions. tested here. Cracks initiated along potentially dangerous paths appear to be redirected by morphological crack diversion mechanisms formed by specific alignments of ;To avoid compromising the effective transfer of loads to the bony skeletal elements which may otherwise result from crack diversion mechanisms. the properties of... |
