The mechanical properties of human ribs in young adult

Pezowicz, Celina<sup>1</sup>; Głowacki, Maciej<sup>2</sup>

Affiliations

¹Division of Biomedical Engineering and Experimental Mechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wrocław University of Technology, Poland

²Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland

Abstract and keywords

A good understanding of thoracic biomechanics is important for complete examination and control of chest behaviour under conditions of physiological and pathological work, and under the impact of external forces leading to traumatic loading of the chest. The purpose of the study was to analyse the mechanical properties of human ribs obtained from individuals under the age of 25 with scoliosis deformation and to correlate them with geometric properties of ribs.

Thirty three fragments of ribs (9th to 12th) were tested in three-point bending. Rib fragments were collected intraoperatively from female patients treated for scoliosis in the thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar spine. The results were used to determine the maximum failure force, stiffness, and Young’s modulus.

A significant relationship was found between the age and elastic modulus of the ribs. The analysis was carried out for two age groups, i.e., between the ages of 10 and 15 and between the ages of 16 and 22, and statistically significant differences were obtained for Young’s modulus ( p = 0.0001) amounting to, respectively, 2.79 ± 1.34 GPa for the first group and 7.44 ± 2.85 GPa for the second group. The results show a significant impact of age on the mechanical properties of ribs.

Keywords: rib, scoliosis, biomechanics, bending, strength

Links

DOI: 10.5277/abb120207

PubMed: 22793688

WoS: 000318777500007

History

Received: 2012-01-16

Accepted: 2012-03-26

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Cited By (6)

Year	Entry
2020	Głowacki J, Tomanik M, Pezowicz C, Krauss H. Mechanical and histomorphometrical evaluation of false and floating ribs of young adults with idiopathic scoliosis. Acta Bioeng Biomech. 2020;22(2):3-10.
2016	Schafman MA, Kang Y-S, Moorhouse K, White SE, Bolte JH IV, Agnew AM. Age and sex alone are insufficient to predict human rib structural response to dynamic A-P loading. J Biomech. October 3, 2016;49(14):3516-3522.
2023	Bernier E, Driscoll M. Numerical investigation of intra-abdominal pressure and spinal load-sharing upon the application of an abdominal belt. J Biomech. December 1, 2023;161:111863.
2015	Agnew AM, Schafman M, Moorhouse K, White SE, Kang Y-S. The effect of age on the structural properties of human ribs. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. January 2015;41:302-314.
2016	Galvis SN. Biomechanical Assessment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Deformity and Treatment [PhD thesis]. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas; 2016.
2014	Jameson JR. Characterization of Bone Material Properties and Microstructure in Osteogenesis Imperfecta/brittle Bone Disease [PhD thesis]. Marquette University; December 2014.