Local analysis of trabecular bone fracture

Identification of antemortem and postmortem fractures in a complex environment by FTIR spectroscopy based on a rabbit tibial fracture self-control model

The identification of antemortem and postmortem fractures is a critical and challenging task for forensic researchers. Based on our preliminary studies, we explored whether the combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and chemometrics can identify antemortem and postmortem fractures in complex environments. The impacts of the four environments on the bone spectrum were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). It was found that the bone degradation rate in the submerged and ground surface (GS) environments was higher than that in the buried and constant temperature and moisture (CTM) environments. Additionally, the bone degradation rate in buried environment higher than that in the CTM environment. The average spectrum, PCA and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) results all revealed that there were significant differences between the antemortem fracture and the remaining three groups in a complex environment. Compared with the antemortem fracture, the antemortem fracture control (AFC) and postmortem fracture control (PFC) tended to be more similar to the postmortem fracture. According to the loading plot, amide I and amide II were the main components that contributed to the identification of the antemortem fracture, AFC, postmortem fracture, and PFC. Finally, we established a differential model for the antemortem and postmortem fractures (an accuracy of 96.9%), and a differentiation model for the antemortem fracture, AFC, postmortem fracture, and PFC (an accuracy of 87.5%). In conclusion, FTIR spectroscopy is a reliable tool for the identification of antemortem and postmortem fractures in complex environments.

Immature articular cartilage and subchondral bone covered by menisci are potentially susceptive to mechanical load

Background

The differences of mechanical and histological properties between cartilage covered by menisci and uncovered by menisci may contribute to the osteoarthritis after meniscectomy and these differences are not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate potential differences in the mechanical and histological properties, and in particular the collagen architecture, of the superficial cartilage layer and subchondral bone between regions covered and uncovered by menisci using immature knee.

Methods

Osteochondral plugs were obtained from porcine tibial cartilage that was either covered or uncovered by menisci. Investigation of the thickness, mechanical properties, histology, and water content of the cartilage as well as micro-computed tomography analysis of the subchondral bone was performed to compare these regions. Collagen architecture was also assessed by using scanning electron microscopy.

Results

Compared to the cartilage uncovered by menisci, that covered by menisci was thinner and showed a higher deformity to compression loading and higher water content. In the superficial layer of cartilage in the uncovered regions, collagen fibers showed high density, whereas they showed low density in covered regions. Furthermore, subchondral bone architecture varied between the 2 regions, and showed low bone density in covered regions.

Conclusions

Cartilage covered by menisci differed from that uncovered in both its mechanical and histological properties, especially with regards to the density of the superficial collagen layer. These regional differences may be related to local mechanical environment in normal condition and indicate that cartilage covered by menisci is tightly guarded by menisci from extreme mechanical loading. Our results indicate that immature cartilage degeneration and subchondral microfracture may occur easily to extreme direct mechanical loading in covered region after meniscectomy.

Mechanical competence of bone: a new parameter to grade trabecular bone fragility from tortuosity and elasticity

With the elderly population increase, osteoporosis and its consequences have become not just a health issue but also a serious economic burden. The trabecular bone structure plays a very important role for the bone quality and mechanical competence of the scaffold. Currently, it is claimed that the trabecular microarchitecture understanding can improve the fracture risk prediction above 65%. Several parameters seem to be correlated providing structural details of the trabecular bone network. However, the tortuosity of the trabeculae has not yet been systematically taken into account and its contribution has not been fully investigated and understood. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between the trabecular tortuosity, connectivity, volume fraction, and elasticity, and provide a unified parameter to estimate the mechanical competence of the structure. It is shown that the trabecular network tortuosity presents high linear correlation with the other parameters and that the trabeculae tend to get aligned in the direction where the structure is mostly submitted to stress, corresponding to higher stiffness orientation. This new parameter will help to integrate the relevant information of bone microarchitecture quality and assess more directly the real trabecular fragility in osteoporotic patients.