This study compared the transmission of tensions in fresh, fixed and macerated dog mandibles in order to clarify the diversity of behavior of bone tissues under dry and moist conditions. Double-exposure holographic interferometry was applied and holograms were obtained from 12 fresh hemi-mandibles under static load (control group), which were randomly assigned to 2 groups: 6 were fixed in 10% formalin and 6 were macerated. The specimens were submitted to the same initial force and their respective holograms were obtained. Analysis of the holograms showed that the fresh specimens transmitted significantly less tension than the fixed and macerated ones (p<0.05), and the tension direction was different. An average two-fold tension increment was observed in the experimental conditions. The holographic interferometry method was efficient in quantifying and qualifying tension transmission. However, depending on the type of analysis, the anatomical specimens must be fresh because macerated specimens will produce different results.