The loading direction dramatically affects the mechanical properties of the mouse tibia.

The tibial loading mouse model has been extensively used to evaluate bone adaptation in the tibia after mechanical loading treatment. However, there is a prevailing assumption that the load is applied axially to the tibia. The aim of this study was to evaluate how much the apparent mechanical properties of the mouse tibia are affected by the loading direction, by using a validated micro-finite element (micro-FE) model of mice which have been ovariectomized and exposed to external mechanical loading over a two-week period.