Uniaxial compression testing of a femur bone manufactured using 3D printing technology

The dataset presents laboratory results from uniaxial compression tests conducted on halves of artificial femur bones produced using 3D printing with FFF/FDM technology. The material used for printing was PLA filament. The printed bone variants differed in the thickness of the outer layer—imitating cortical bone tissue—and the density of the inner layer—representing trabecular bone tissue—which, upon further analysis, may serve to replicate various stages of osteoporosis. The fabricated models were subjected to cyclic loading. The compressive strength of the bones varied depending on the thickness of the outer layer and the infill density. Different failure patterns were observed, corresponding to the various bone variants produced. The predominant failure pattern was the fracture of the femoral head or neck at the proximal end of the bone. The results were compared with previous studies on commercial femur bones as well as those produced using 3D printing technology by other authors.