Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to a system for determining, in a solid structure that has failed along at least one fracture surface, the propagation path of at least one crack at the origin of said or each fracture surface. The method according to the invention comprises a step a) for the acquisition of topographical data for said or each surface either in a case (i) by extraction of height profiles along a plurality of directions or in a case (ii) by acquisition of a height contour map, and with a resolution for which said structure is heterogeneous and rough, which method includes, after this step a), an analysis of the statistical roughness properties of the or each surface that displays an anisotropy of these properties along said plurality of directions, in order to deduce from this anisotropy at least one propagation direction X of the or each crack that defines all or part of said path.