The mechanics of failure are both very well understood in some domains and applications whilst other fields languish. Various aviation materials have 10 of tho

The mechanics of failure are both very well understood in some domains and applications whilst other fields languish. Various aviation materials have 10 of thousands of papers studying fatigue failure. The area of my PhD research program was in biomechanics working on knee meniscus as a fibrous composite material. In the entire field of biomechanics and soft tissue material science there were 2 papers that did fatigue experiments in tendons that I ever found. I figured out how to improve specimen preparation techniques to be able to perform experiments for a third paper (at the time) on soft tissue fatigue and the first ever on fibrocartilage. It was fun. Yet somehow medical devices are made to fix spinal discs and torn meniscus were surgically removed for decades, all without very rudimentary engineering data on the materials. Then again, visiting a spinal clinic with my father you can see the results of that with how little we can really treat.