Objective: To investigate the effects of cadmium (Cd) on biomechanical properties of femur and lumbar spine in male rats. Methods: Twenty-four 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups which were given CdCl2 by subcutaneous injection at a doses of 0 (sodium chloride), 0.1, 0.5 and 1.5 mg /kg body weight, respectively. At the 12th week, blood, lumbar spine and femur were collected for cadmium assay, bone mineral density (BMD) measurement and biomechanical test. Results: Cd in blood and bone of rats treated with Cd were significantly higher than the control(P < 0.05).BMD of rats exposed to 0.5mg/kg bw and 1.5mg/kg bw were significantly lower than the control(P < 0.05).Biomechanical properties of femur and lumbar spine in rats treated with Cd were decreased compared with the control, especially for biomechanical properties of femur in 1.5mg/kg bw group and biomechanical properties of lumbar spine in 0.5 and 1.5mg/kg bw groups(P < 0.01). Conclusion: Cd exposure could reduce bone biomechanical properties and the reduction of biomechanics of lumbar spine was more sensitive than those of femur.