The fracture mechanisms affecting bone tissue can be described as a damage accumulation process due to the initiation and propagation of microcracks. Fracture risk does not solely depend on strength but also on fracture toughness. To replace damaged bone or cartilage tissues, hydrogels are required to provide appropriate stiffness or deformation properties as well as resistance to fracture. However, failure properties, such as the resistance to fracture, must be evaluated by fracture toughness techniques. Microindentation has emerged as a novel technique for the measurement of material properties of cortical bone. The application of this test for fracture toughness determination in these tissues can become widespread because of the simplicity of the test. The aims of this article are to discuss clinical application of fracture toughness analysis and to present a well tested and more realistic approach for estimating fracture toughness in bone. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2019. (c) 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers