Measurements of permeability in human calcaneal trabecular bone

2.36 cm diameter cores of trabecular bone (n = 22), oriented in the mediolateral direction, were obtained from fresh-frozen calcanei of 16 cadavers ranging in age from 32 to 89 yr. The cores were defatted and tested to determine values for permeability along the cylinder axis. Permeability values (0.4-11 x 10^-9 m²) were found to be strongly correlated with specimen porosity (78-92%) through a linear relationship (r² = 0.91). These results provide essential information for the biphasic or poroelastic modeling of fluid-filled trabecular bone at this location.