Tensile properties of rat femoral bone as functions of bone volume fraction, apparent density and volumetric bone mineral density

Nazarian, Ara<sup>1</sup>; Arroyo, Francisco J. Araiza<sup>1</sup>; Rosso, Claudio<sup>1,2</sup>; Aran, Shima<sup>1</sup>; Snyder, Brian D.<sup>1,3</sup>

Affiliations

¹Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

²Orthopaedic Department, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

³Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Abstract and keywords

Mechanical testing has been regarded as the gold standard to investigate the effects of pathologies on the structure–function properties of the skeleton. Tensile properties of cancellous and cortical bone have been reported previously; however, no relationships describing these properties for rat bone as a function of volumetric bone mineral density (ρ_MIN), apparent density or bone volume fraction (BV/TV) have been reported in the literature.

We have shown that at macro level, compression and torsion properties of rat cortical and cancellous bone can be well described as a function of BV/TV, apparent density or ρ_MIN using non-destructive micro-computed tomographic imaging and mechanical testing to failure. Therefore, the aim of this study is to derive a relationship expressing the tensile properties of rat cortical bone as a function of BV/TV, apparent density or ρ_MIN over a range of normal and pathologic bones.

We used bones from normal, ovariectomized and osteomalacic animals. All specimens underwent micro-computed tomographic imaging to assess bone morphometric and densitometric indices and uniaxial tension to failure.

We obtained univariate relationships describing 74–77% of the tensile properties of rat cortical bone as a function of BV/TV, apparent density or ρ_MIN over a range of density and common skeletal pathologies. The relationships reported in this study can be used in the structural rigidity to provide a non-invasive method to assess the tensile behavior of bones affected by pathology and/or treatment options.

Keywords: Tensile properties; Osteomalacia; Ovariectomy; Rat; Bone;

Links

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2011.06.016

PubMed: 000294934200021

WoS: 21774935

History

Accepted: 2011-06-15

Online: 2011-07-19

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Cited By (4)

Year	Entry
2015	Prot M, Saletti D, Pattofatto S, Bousson V, Laporte S. Links between mechanical behavior of cancellous bone and its microstructural properties under dynamic loading. J Biomech. February 5, 2015;48(3):498-503.
2015	Gargac J. Evaluation of Bone Healing, Damage, and Adaptation Using Computational Modeling and Image Processing Techniques [PhD thesis]. University of Notre Dame; July 2015.
2011	Kourtis LC. Computed Tomography Based Estimation of Bone Rigidity and Strength Under Combined Bending and Torsion [PhD thesis]. Stanford University; September 2011.
2018	Hilton K. The Effect of Boundary Conditions and Architecture on the Response of Cancellous Bone [Master's thesis]. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town; October 18, 2018.