Abstract
Bone is a natural hierarchical composite tissue incorporating hard mineral nano-crystals of hydroxyapatite (HAp) and organic binding material containing elastic collagen fibers. In the study, we investigated the structure and deformation of ovine bone by the combination of high-energy synchrotron X-ray tomographic imaging and scattering. X-ray experiments were performed prior to and under three-point bending loading by using a specially developed in situ load cell constructed from aluminium alloy frame, fast-drying epoxy resin for sample fixation, and a titanium bolt for contact loading. Firstly, multiple radiographic projection images were acquired and tomographic reconstruction was performed using SAVU software, following segmentation using Avizo. Secondly, Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS) and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) 2D scattering patterns were collected from HAp and collagen. Both sample shape and deformation affect the observed scattering. Novel combined tomographic and diffraction analysis presented below paves the way for advanced characterization of complex shape samples using the Dual Imaging and Diffraction (DIAD) paradigm.
Highlights
Skeletal bones form the crucial structural framework of mammalian skeleton that sustains mechanical loading in the course of movement, daily work, sport, exertion, and trauma
According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), osteoporosis alone is responsible to an estimated 75 million fractures annually according to the statistics from Europe, USA, and Japan [1]
The study of the structure and function of bones has been a focus of attention for researchers in microscopy and anatomy ever since the application of microscopy to the study of natural tissues began, notably as reported by Hooke in his treatise Micrographia [2]
Summary
Skeletal bones form the crucial structural framework of mammalian skeleton that sustains mechanical loading in the course of movement, daily work, sport, exertion, and trauma. The study of the structure and function of bones has been a focus of attention for researchers in microscopy and anatomy ever since the application of microscopy to the study of natural tissues began, notably as reported by Hooke in his treatise Micrographia [2]. Mechanotransduction is the term that describes bone remodelling in response to loading. It involves the conversion of mechanical parameters (stresses and strains) converted into biochemical signals through electromechanical coupling, biochemical signal generation and transmission, and cell response. It is in this context that the mechanostat hypothesis (or theorem) has been introduced [4]. The accumulated laboratory and clinical evidence [5] supports the applicability of this view
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