Material properties of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) horncore bone with implications for energy absorption during impacts

Bighorn sheep rams participate in high impact head-butting without overt signs of brain injury, thus providing a naturally occurring animal model for studying brain injury mitigation. Previously published finite element modeling showed that both the horn and bone materials play important roles in reducing brain cavity accelerations during ramming. However, in that study the elastic modulus of bone was assumed to be similar to that of human bone since the modulus of ram bone was unknown. Therefore, the goal of this study was to quantify the mechanical properties, mineral content, porosity, and microstructural organization of horncore cortical bone from juvenile and adult rams. Mineral content and elastic modulus increased with horn size, and porosity decreased. However, modulus of toughness did not change with horn size. This latter finding raises the possibility that the horncore cortical bone has not adapted exceptional toughness despite an extreme loading environment and may function primarily as an interface material between the horn and the porous bone within the horncore. Thus, geometric properties of the horn and horncore, including the porous bone architecture, may be more important for energy absorption during ramming than the horncore cortical bone. Results from this study can be used to improve accuracy of finite element models of bighorn sheep ramming to investigate these possibilities moving forward.