Abstract
The ability of bone graft substitutes to promote new bone formation has been increasingly used in the medical field to repair skeletal defects or to replace missing bone in a broad range of applications in dentistry and orthopedics. A common way to assess such materials is via micro computed tomography (µ-CT), through the density information content provided by the absorption of X-rays. Information on the chemical composition of a material can be obtained via Raman spectroscopy. By investigating a bone sample from miniature pigs containing the bone graft substitute Bio Oss®, we pursued the target of assessing to what extent the density information gained by µ-CT imaging matches the chemical information content provided by Raman spectroscopic imaging. Raman images and Raman correlation maps of the investigated sample were used in order to generate a Raman based segmented image by means of an agglomerative, hierarchical cluster analysis. The resulting segments, showing chemically related areas, were subsequently compared with the µ-CT image by means of a one-way ANOVA. We found out that to a certain extent typical gray-level values (and the related histograms) in the µ-CT image can be reliably related to specific segments within the image resulting from the cluster analysis.
Highlights
Bone is an anisotropic, hierarchically structured material constantly subjected to a renewal process that actively adapts itself to changing mechanical loading conditions throughout its lifetime
This study shows how different Raman images and Raman correlation maps can successfully be used to generate a segmented image comprising the biochemical information by means of hierarchical cluster analysis
Bio-Oss® and pork bone could clearly be discriminated by Raman spectroscopy
Summary
Hierarchically structured material constantly subjected to a renewal process that actively adapts itself to changing mechanical loading conditions throughout its lifetime. The bone microstructure is mainly composed of a collagen matrix, predominantly collagen type I, in which phosphate mineral particles are embedded [1,2]. As the third main component of bone, has a great impact on its mechanical properties since mechanical tests of dry bone exhibit different results compared to those of wet bone. While minerals like carbonated hydroxyapatite provide stiffness, proteins (collagen matrix) yield the required elasticity under wet conditions and generate a biological material showing outstanding mechanical properties [3,4]. Bone remodeling (i.e., renewal of bone), which is effected by osteoclasts and osteoblasts, usually increases the mineral content and the mechanical stiffness of bone [2]. Different substitute materials were developed and are still being researched [5,6,7,8]
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