High-precision method for cyclic loading of small-animal vertebrae to assess bone quality.

ABSTRACT: One potentially important bone quality characteristic is the response of bone to cyclic (repetitive) mechanical loading. In small animals, such as in rats and mice, cyclic loading experiments are particularly challenging to perform in a precise manner due to the small size of the bones and difficult-to-eliminate machine compliance. Addressing this issue, we developed a precise method for ex vivo cyclic compressive loading of isolated mouse vertebral bodies. The method has three key characteristics: 3D-printed support jigs for machining plano-parallel surfaces of the tiny vertebrae; pivotable loading platens to ensure uniform contact and loading of specimen surfaces; and specimen-specific micro-CT-based finite element analysis to measure stiffness to prescribe force levels that produce the

SUBMITTER: Pendleton MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6222041 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature