New metamaterial mimics the connection between bone and tendon
Source: Nature Communications
5 October 2026 – Researchers at Delft University of Technology have developed a new metamaterial design inspired by the transition between bone and tendon in the human body. This connection is remarkable because a rigid bone and a much softer tendon must transfer forces without becoming easily damaged.
Metamaterials are engineered materials whose properties depend not only on their chemical composition but also on their internal structure. By changing the geometry of this structure, researchers can control how a material deforms and distributes mechanical forces.
The transition between bone and tendon provides a useful example. A gradual change in stiffness can prevent mechanical stresses from becoming concentrated in a small area. The new design aims to reproduce this principle.
Such materials could eventually be useful in medical implants, soft robotics and engineering connections between rigid and flexible components. Further testing is needed to determine how these designs perform under prolonged and repeated mechanical loading.
The study was published on October 5 in Nature Communications under the title ‘Strategy for hybrid connection of porous strut and triply periodic minimal surface lattice structures’.
