Evaluation of global load sharing and shear-lag models to describe mechanical behavior in partially lacerated tendons

The mechanical effect of a partial thickness tear or laceration of a tendon is analytically modeled under various assumptions and results are compared with previous experimental data from porcine flexor tendons. Among several fibril-level models considered, a shear-lag model that incorporates fibril–matrix interaction and a fibril–fibril interaction defined by the contact area of the interposed matrix best matched published data for tendons with shallow cuts (less than 50% of the cross-sectional area). Application of this model to the case of many disrupted fibrils is based on linear superposition and is most successful when more fibrils are incorporated into the model. An equally distributed load sharing model for the fraction of remaining intact fibrils was inadequate in that it overestimates the strength for a cut less than half of the tendon's cross-sectional area. In a broader sense, results imply that shear-lag contributes significantly to the general mechanical behavior of tendons when axial loads are nonuniformly distributed over a cross section, although the predominant hierarchical level and microstructural mediators for this behavior require further inquiry.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Ultrasound Echo is Related to Stress and Strain in Tendon

The mechanical behavior of tendons has been well studied in vitro. A noninvasive method to acquire mechanical data would be highly beneficial. Elastography has been a promising method of gathering in vivo tissue mechanical behavior, but it has inherent limitations. This study presents acoustoelasticity as an alternative ultrasound-based method of measuring tendon stress and strain by reporting a relationship between ultrasonic echo intensity (B-mode ultrasound image brightness) and mechanical behavior of tendon in vitro. Porcine digital flexor tendons were cyclically loaded in a mechanical testing system while an ultrasonic echo response was recorded. We report that echo intensity closely follows the applied cyclic strain pattern in time with higher strain protocols resulting in larger echo intensity changes. We also report that echo intensity is related nonlinearly to stress and nearly linearly to strain. This indicates that ultrasonic echo intensity is related to the mechanical behavior in a loaded tissue by an acoustoelastic response, as previously described in homogeneous, nearly incompressible materials. Acoustoelasticity is therefore able to relate strain-dependent stiffness and stress to the reflected echo, even in the processed B-mode signals reflected from viscoelastic and inhomogeneous material such as tendon, and is a promising metric to acquire in vivo mechanical data noninvasively

The Influence of Partial and Full Thickness Tears on Infraspinatus Tendon Strain Patterns

Tears on the bursal and articular sides of the rotator cuff tendons are known to behave differently and strain is thought to play a role in this difference. This study investigates the effect of tear location on the changes in three strain measurements (grip-to-grip, insertion, and mid-substance tissue) in a sheep infraspinatus tendon model during axial loading. We introduced a 14mm wide defect near the insertion from either the articular or bursal side of the tendon to three depths (3 mm, 7mm & full) progressively. For each condition, tendons were sinusoidally stretched (4% at 0.5 Hz) while insertion and midsubstance strains were tracked with surface markers. For a fixed load, grip-to-grip strain increased significantly compared to intact for both cuts. Insertion strain increased significantly for the bursal-side defect immediately but not for the articular-side until the 66% cut. Mid-substance tissue strain showed no significant change for partial thickness articular-side defects and a significant decrease for bursal-side defects after the 66% cut. All full thickness cuts exhibited negligible mid-substance tissue strain change. Our results suggest that the tendon strain patterns are more sensitive to defects on the bursal side, and that partial thickness tears tend to induce localized strain concentrations in regions adjacent to the damaged tissue

Crown Preservation of the Mandibular First Molar Tooth Impacts the Strength and Stiffness of Three Non-Invasive Jaw Fracture Repair Constructs in Dogs

Repairing mandibular body fractures present unique challenges not encountered when repairing long bones. Large tooth roots and the presence of the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle limit safe placement for many types of orthopedic implants. Use of noninvasive fracture repair methods have increasingly become popular and have proven safe and effective at achieving bone healing. Noninvasive fixation constructs have not been tested in dogs using cantilevered bending. Furthermore noninvasive fracture repair constructs have not been tested at the location of a common fracture location- the mandibular first molar tooth (M1). The objectives of this study were to test the strength and stiffness of three noninvasive mandibular fracture repair constructs and to characterize the impact that tooth crown preservation has on fixation strength for fractures occurring at the M1 location. Specimens were assigned to three treatment groups: (1) composite only, (2) interdental wiring and composite and (3) transmucosal fixation screw and composite. For each pair of mandibles, one mandible received crown amputation at the alveolar margin to simulate the effect of crown loss on fixation strength and stiffness. Regardless of the status of crown presence, interdental wiring and composite demonstrated the greatest bending stiffness and load to failure. With the crown removed, interdental wiring and composite was significantly stronger compared to other treatments. All fixation constructs were stiffer when the tooth crown was preserved. In fractures at this location, retaining the tooth crown of M1 significantly increases stiffness of interdental wiring with composite and transmucosal screw with composite constructs. If the crown of M1 was removed, interdental wiring and composite was significantly stronger than the other two forms of fixation

Controlled nucleation of hydroxyapatite on alginate scaffolds for stem cell-based bone tissue engineering

Current bone tissue engineering strategies aim to grow a tissue similar to native bone by combining cells and biologically active molecules with a scaffold material. In this study, a macroporous scaffold made from the seaweed-derived polymer alginate was synthesized and mineralized for cell-based bone tissue engineering applications. Nucleation of a bone-like hydroxyapatite mineral was achieved by incubating the scaffold in modified simulated body fluids (mSBF) for 4 weeks. Analysis using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis indicated growth of a continuous layer of mineral primarily composed of calcium and phosphorous. X-ray diffraction analysis showed peaks associated with hydroxyapatite, the major inorganic constituent of human bone tissue. In addition to the mineral characterization, the ability to control nucleation on the surface, into the bulk of the material, or on the inner pore surfaces of scaffolds was demonstrated. Finally, human MSCs attached and proliferated on the mineralized scaffolds and cell attachment improved when seeding cells on mineral coated alginate scaffolds. This novel alginate- HAP composite material could be used in bone tissue engineering as a scaffold material to deliver cells, and perhaps also biologically active molecules. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2010.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77954/1/32833_ftp.pd

Quantification of Collagen Organization Using Fractal Dimensions and Fourier Transforms

Collagen fibers and fibrils that comprise tendons and ligaments are disrupted or damaged during injury. Fibrillogenesis during healing produces a matrix that is initially quite disorganized, but remodels over time to resemble, but not replicate, the original roughly parallel microstructure. Quantification of these changes is traditionally a laborious and subjective task. In this work we applied two automated techniques, fast Fourier transformation (FFT) and fractal dimension analysis (FA) to quantify the organization of collagen fibers or fibrils. Using multi-photon images of collagen fibers obtained from rat ligament we showed that for healing ligaments, FA differentiates more clearly between the different time-points during healing. Using scanning electron microscopy images of overstretched porcine flexor tendon, we showed that combining FFT and FA measures distinguishes the damaged and undamaged groups more clearly than either method separately

Systemic administration of IGF-I enhances healing in collagenous extracellular matrices: evaluation of loaded and unloaded ligaments

BACKGROUND: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plays a crucial role in wound healing and tissue repair. We tested the hypotheses that systemic administration of IGF-I, or growth hormone (GH), or both (GH+IGF-I) would improve healing in collagenous connective tissue, such as ligament. These hypotheses were examined in rats that were allowed unrestricted activity after injury and in animals that were subjected to hindlimb disuse. Male rats were assigned to three groups: ambulatory sham-control, ambulatory-healing, and hindlimb unloaded-healing. Ambulatory and hindlimb unloaded animals underwent surgical disruption of their knee medial collateral ligaments (MCLs), while sham surgeries were performed on control animals. Healing animals subcutaneously received systemic doses of either saline, GH, IGF-I, or GH+IGF-I. After 3 weeks, mechanical properties, cell and matrix morphology, and biochemical composition were examined in control and healing ligaments. RESULTS: Tissues from ambulatory animals receiving only saline had significantly greater strength than tissue from saline receiving hindlimb unloaded animals. Addition of IGF-I significantly improved maximum force and ultimate stress in tissues from both ambulatory and hindlimb unloaded animals with significant increases in matrix organization and type-I collagen expression. Addition of GH alone did not have a significant effect on either group, while addition of GH+IGF-I significantly improved force, stress, and modulus values in MCLs from hindlimb unloaded animals. Force, stress, and modulus values in tissues from hindlimb unloaded animals receiving IGF-I or GH+IGF-I exceeded (or were equivalent to) values in tissues from ambulatory animals receiving only saline with greatly improved structural organization and significantly increased type-I collagen expression. Furthermore, levels of IGF-receptor were significantly increased in tissues from hindlimb unloaded animals treated with IGF-I. CONCLUSION: These results support two of our hypotheses that systemic administration of IGF-I or GH+IGF-I improve healing in collagenous tissue. Systemic administration of IGF-I improves healing in collagenous extracellular matrices from loaded and unloaded tissues. Growth hormone alone did not result in any significant improvement contrary to our hypothesis, while GH + IGF-I produced remarkable improvement in hindlimb unloaded animals

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF FLEXIBLE IMPLANTS WITH APPLICATION TO ARTIFICIAL HEART VALVES.

Abstract not availabl