Exploratory Full-Field Mechanical Analysis across the Osteochondral Tissue-Biomaterial Interface in an Ovine Model

Method for accurate removal of trabecular bone samples from a curved articulating surface of the distal femur

BACKGROUND

Knowing the mechanical properties of trabecular bone is critical for many branches of orthopaedic research. Trabecular bone is anisotropic and the principal trabecular direction is usually aligned with the load it transmits. It is therefore critical that the mechanical properties are measured as close as possible to this direction, which is often perpendicular to a curved articulating surface.

METHODS

This study presents a method to extract trabecular bone cores perpendicular to a curved articulating surface of the distal femur. Cutting guides were generated from computed tomography scans of 12 human distal femora and a series of cutting tools were used to release cylindrical bone cores from the femora. The bone cores were then measured to identify the angle between the bone core axis and the principal trabecular axis.

FINDINGS

The method yielded an 83% success rate in core extraction over 10 core locations per distal femur specimen. In the condyles, 97% of extracted cores were aligned with the principal trabecular direction.

INTERPRETATION

This method is a reliable way of extracting trabecular bone specimens perpendicular to a curved articular surface and could be useful across the field of orthopaedic research.

A novel tool to quantify in vivo lumbar spine kinematics and 3D intervertebral disc strains using clinical MRI

Medical imaging modalities that calculate tissue morphology alone cannot provide direct information regarding the mechanical behaviour of load-bearing musculoskeletal organs. Accurate in vivo measurement of spine kinematics and intervertebral disc (IVD) strains can provide important information regarding the mechanical behaviour of the spine, help to investigate the effects of injuries on the mechanics of the spine, and assess the effectiveness of treatments. Additionally, strains can serve as a functional biomechanical marker for detecting normal and pathologic tissues. We hypothesised that combining digital volume correlation (DVC) with 3T clinical MRI can provide direct information regarding the mechanics of the spine. Here, we have developed a novel non-invasive tool for in vivo displacement and strain measurement within the human lumbar spine and we used this tool to calculate lumbar kinematics and IVD strains in six healthy subjects during lumbar extension. The proposed tool enabled spine kinematics and IVD strains to be measured with errors that did not exceed 0.17 mm and 0.5%, respectively. The findings of the kinematics study identified that during extension the lumbar spine of healthy subjects experiences total 3D translations ranging from 1 mm to 4.5 mm for different vertebral levels. The findings of strain analysis identified that the average of the maximum tensile, compressive, and shear strains for different lumbar levels during extension ranged from 3.5% to 7.2%. This tool can provide base-line data that can be used to describe the mechanical environment of healthy lumbar spine, which can help clinicians manage preventative treatments, define patient-specific treatments, and to monitor the effectiveness of surgical and non-surgical interventions.

A practical guide for in situ mechanical testing of musculoskeletal tissues using synchrotron tomography

Musculoskeletal tissues are complex hierarchical materials where mechanical response is linked to structural and material properties at different dimensional levels. Therefore, high-resolution three-dimensional tomography is very useful for assessing tissue properties at different scales. In particular, Synchrotron Radiation micro-Computed Tomography (SR-microCT) has been used in several applications to analyze the structure of bone and biomaterials. In the past decade the development of digital volume correlation (DVC) algorithms applied to SR-microCT images and its combination with in situ mechanical testing (four-dimensional imaging) have allowed researchers to visualise, for the first time, the deformation of musculoskeletal tissues and their interaction with biomaterials under different loading scenarios. However, there are several experimental challenges that make these measurements difficult and at high risk of failure. Challenges relate to sample preparation, imaging parameters, loading setup, accumulated tissue damage for multiple tomographic acquisitions, reconstruction methods and data processing. Considering that access to SR-microCT facilities is usually associated with bidding processes and long waiting times, the failure of these experiments could notably slow down the advancement of this research area and reduce its impact. Many of the experimental failures can be avoided with increased experience in performing the tests and better guidelines for preparation and execution of these complex experiments; publication of negative results could help interested researchers to avoid recurring mistakes. Therefore, the goal of this article is to highlight the potential and pitfalls in the design and execution of in situ SR-microCT experiments, involving multiple scans, of musculoskeletal tissues for the assessment of their structural and/or mechanical properties. The advice and guidelines that follow should improve the success rate of this type of experiment, allowing the community to reach higher impact more efficiently.

Digital volume correlation for the characterization of musculoskeletal tissues: Current challenges and future developments

Biological tissues are complex hierarchical materials, difficult to characterise due to the challenges associated to the separation of scale and heterogeneity of the mechanical properties at different dimensional levels. The Digital Volume Correlation approach is the only image-based experimental approach that can accurately measure internal strain field within biological tissues under complex loading scenarios. In this minireview examples of DVC applications to study the deformation of musculoskeletal tissues at different dimensional scales are reported, highlighting the potential and challenges of this relatively new technique. The manuscript aims at reporting the wide breath of DVC applications in the past 2 decades and discuss future perspective for this unique technique, including fast analysis, applications on soft tissues, high precision approaches, and clinical applications.

High resolution three-dimensional strain measurements in human articular cartilage

An unresolved challenge in osteoarthritis research is characterising the localised intra-tissue mechanical response of articular cartilage. The aim of this study was to explore whether laboratory micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and digital volume correlation (DVC) permit non-destructive quantification of three-dimensional (3D) strain fields in human articular cartilage. Human articular cartilage specimens were harvested from the knee, mounted into a loading device and imaged in the unloaded and loaded states using a micro-CT scanner. Strain was measured throughout the cartilage volume using the micro-CT image data and DVC analysis. The volumetric DVC-measured strain was within 5% of the known applied strain. Variation in strain distribution between the superficial, middle and deep zones was observed, consistent with the different architecture of the material in these locations. These results indicate DVC method may be suitable for calculating strain in human articular cartilage.

In Vivo Deformation and Strain Measurements in Human Bone Using Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) and 3T Clinical MRI

Strains within bone play an important role in the remodelling process and the mechanisms of fracture. The ability to assess these strains in vivo can provide clinically relevant information regarding bone health, injury risk, and can also be used to optimise treatments. In vivo bone strains have been investigated using multiple experimental techniques, but none have quantified 3D strains using non-invasive techniques. Digital volume correlation based on clinical MRI (DVC-MRI) is a non-invasive technique that has the potential to achieve this. However, before it can be implemented, uncertainties associated with the measurements must be quantified. Here, DVC-MRI was evaluated to assess its potential to measure in vivo strains in the talus. A zero-strain test (two repeated unloaded scans) was conducted using three MRI sequences, and three DVC approaches to quantify errors and to establish optimal settings. With optimal settings, strains could be measured with a precision of 200 με and accuracy of 480 με for a spatial resolution of 7.5 mm, and a precision of 133 με and accuracy of 251 με for a spatial resolution of 10 mm. These results demonstrate that this technique has the potential to measure relevant levels of in vivo bone strain and to be used for a range of clinical applications.