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Life
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Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’
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Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (21 January 2024) | Viewed by 7764

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Peter Zioupos

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Guest Editor
School of Engineering, University of Hull, Cottingham Rd, Kingston Upon Hull HU6 7RX, UK
Interests: ageing and chronic disease; biomedical engineering; biomechanics of materials; human factors for defence; forensic biomechanics
Prof. Dr. Gianluca Tozzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering & Science, School of Engineering, University of Greenwich, London SE10 9LS, UK
Interests: X-ray computed tomography; experimental mechanics; digital volume correlation; biological tissues; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We have the pleasure to announce the launch of a new Special Issue in Life titled “Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘in Translation’”.

Many of our readers have skills in biomaterials, biomechanics, and mechanics of materials research and seek an appropriate forum to disseminate their work. There can be many reasons for engaging in biological material research, and knowing how hard and soft tissues act in their mechanical environment is fundamental in the understanding of how organisms, organs, and tissue systems work. Much of this basic and fundamental research aims to answer structure/function relationships in tissues. By knowing this, we can develop a wider perspective of how these materials perform and why they do so. As Rik Huiskes put it succinctly on pondering what the bone material is all about: ‘if bone is the answer, then what is the question?’

In this issue, we invite you to share your ideas both on the biomimetic inspiration that comes from abstracting basic knowledge from tissues, but more importantly on how this knowledge is translated into applications, actions, and deliverables in medicine and applied science. How can it be the steppingstone for something tangible in our modern society? Hence the title “Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘in Translation’”, meaning what can we make of tissues by looking either backwards (biomimetics into translation) or forwards (biomechanics of materials translated into applications).

The topics of the Special Issue include (but are not restricted to) the following:

  • Biomechanics of cells, tissues, and biomaterials;
  • Hard–soft tissue interface;
  • Bioinspired 3D printed and electrospun materials;
  • Imaging-based mechanics of tissues and biomaterials;
  • Deep learning and computational modelling;
  • Other techniques with the potential to complement, inform, and expand knowledge of hard and soft tissues.

Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Peter Zioupos
Prof. Dr. Gianluca Tozzi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hard tissue biomechanics
  • soft tissue biomechanics
  • applications
  • biomedical engineering
  • ageing and disease—tissue properties
  • bone analogues
  • biomaterials
  • soft tissue replacement

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1331 KiB  
Article
Predicting the Fracture Toughness of Human Cancellous Bone in Fractured Neck of Femur Patients Using Bone Volume and Micro-Architecture
by George J. Adams, Richard B. Cook, Michael Gibson and Peter Zioupos
Life 2024, 14(4), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14040467 - 3 Apr 2024
Viewed by 534
Abstract
The current protocol used to determine if an individual is osteoporotic relies on assessment of the individual’s bone mineral density (BMD), which allows clinicians to judge the condition of a patient with respect to their peers. This, in essence, evaluates a person’s fracture [...] Read more.
The current protocol used to determine if an individual is osteoporotic relies on assessment of the individual’s bone mineral density (BMD), which allows clinicians to judge the condition of a patient with respect to their peers. This, in essence, evaluates a person’s fracture risk, because BMD is a good surrogate measure for strength and stiffness. In recent studies, the authors were the first to produce fracture toughness (FT) data from osteoporotic (OP) and osteoarthritic (OA) patients, by using a testing technique which basically analyzes the prerequisite stress conditions for the onset of growth of a major crack through cancellous bone tissue. FT depends mainly on bone quantity (BV/TV, bone volume/tissue volume), but also on bone micro-architecture (mArch), the inner trabecular design of the bone. The working research hypothesis of the present study is that mArch offers added prediction power to BV/TV in determining FT parameters. Consequently, our aim was to investigate the use of predictive models for fracture toughness and also to investigate if there are any significant differences between the models produced from samples loaded across (AC, transverse to) the main trabecular orientation and along (AL, in parallel) the trabeculae. In multilinear regression analysis, we found that the strength of the relationships varied for a crack growing in these two orthogonal directions. Adding mArch variables in the Ac direction helped to increase the R2 to 0.798. However, in the AL direction, adding the mArch parameters did not add any predictive power to using BV/TV alone; BV/TV on its own could produce R2 = 0.730. The present results also imply that the anisotropic layout of the trabeculae makes it more difficult for a major crack to grow transversely across them. Cancellous bone models and remodels itself in a certain way to resist fracture in a specific direction, and thus, we should be mindful that architectural quality as well as bone quantity are needed to understand the resistance to fracture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’)
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14 pages, 4317 KiB  
Article
Parametrization of the Calcaneus and Medial Cuneiform to Aid Potential Advancements in Flatfoot Surgery
by Yanni Cai, Giulia Pascoletti, Peter Zioupos, Basil Budair, Elisabetta M. Zanetti, Trevor J. Ringrose and Sarah Junaid
Life 2024, 14(3), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030328 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 876
Abstract
Introduction: Flatfoot is a condition commonly seen in children; however, there is general disagreement over its incidence, characterization and correction. Painful flatfoot accompanied with musculoskeletal and soft tissue problems requires surgery to avoid arthritis in adulthood, the most common surgical approach being two [...] Read more.
Introduction: Flatfoot is a condition commonly seen in children; however, there is general disagreement over its incidence, characterization and correction. Painful flatfoot accompanied with musculoskeletal and soft tissue problems requires surgery to avoid arthritis in adulthood, the most common surgical approach being two osteotomies to the calcaneus and medial cuneiform bones of the foot. Objectives: This study focuses on the parametrization of these two bones to understand their bone morphology differences in a population sample among 23 normal subjects. Population differences could help in understanding whether bone shape may be an important factor in aiding surgical planning and outcomes. Methods: A total of 45 sets of CT scans of these subjects were used to generate surface meshes of the two bones and converted to be iso-topological meshes, simplifying the application of Generalized Procrustes Analysis and Principal Component Analysis, allowing the main sources of variation between the subjects to be quantified. Results: For the calcaneus, 16 Principal Components (PCs) and, for the medial cuneiform, 12 PCs were sufficient to describe 90% of the dataset variability. The quantitative and qualitative analyses confirm that for the calcaneus PC1 describes the Achilles attachment location and PC2 largely describes the anterior part of the bone. For the medial cuneiform, PC1 describes the medial part of the bone, while PC2 mainly describes the superior part. Conclusion: Most importantly, the PCs did not seem to describe the osteotomy sites for both bones, suggesting low population variability at the bone cutting points. Further studies are needed to evaluate how shape variability impacts surgical outcomes. Future implications could include better surgical planning and may pave the way for complex robotic surgeries to become a reality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’)
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14 pages, 2124 KiB  
Article
Osteonal Damage Patterns from Ballistic and Blunt Force Trauma in Human Long Bones
by Keira Sexton, Nathalie Schwab, Ignasi Galtés, Anna Casas, Nuria Armentano, Pedro Brillas, Xavier Garrido and Xavier Jordana
Life 2024, 14(2), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020220 - 3 Feb 2024
Viewed by 915
Abstract
Forensic anthropologists play a key role in skeletal trauma analysis and commonly use macroscopic features to distinguish between trauma types. However, this approach can be challenging, particularly in cases of highly comminuted or incompletely recovered fractures. Histological analysis of microscopic fracture characteristics in [...] Read more.
Forensic anthropologists play a key role in skeletal trauma analysis and commonly use macroscopic features to distinguish between trauma types. However, this approach can be challenging, particularly in cases of highly comminuted or incompletely recovered fractures. Histological analysis of microscopic fracture characteristics in fractured bones may thus help provide additional information on trauma type and bone fracture biomechanics in general. This study analysed the extent of microcrack damage to osteons in long bones with blunt force trauma (BFT) and gunshot trauma (GST), from both traumatic death cases and post-mortem experimental fractures. We identified four types of osteonal damage (OD). In traumatic death cases, OD affecting the inside of the osteon and compromising the Haversian canal (type 1) was found to be indicative of BFT. Moreover, OD affecting the cement line (type 3) and interstitial lamellae (type 4) was more common in the GST samples. OD affecting the inside of the osteon without compromising the Haversian canal (type 2) was not found to be indicative of either trauma type. In cases of experimental fractures, our study revealed that post-mortem fractures in dry bone samples featured the highest amount of OD, particularly of type 4. This study also found that the experimentally produced GST featured similar OD patterns to GST death cases. These findings support our hypothesis that there are distinct osteonal damage patterns in human long bones with BFT and GST, which are of relevant value for trauma analysis in forensic anthropology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’)
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16 pages, 23095 KiB  
Article
Strain and Strain Recovery of Human Hair from the Nano- to the Macroscale
by Brigitte Waldmann, Martin F. T. Hassler, Alexander R. M. Müllner, Stephan Puchegger and Herwig Peterlik
Life 2023, 13(12), 2246; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13122246 - 22 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1141
Abstract
In this study, in operandi SAXS experiments were conducted on samples of human hair with a varying degree of strain (2% within the elastic region and 10% beyond). Four different features in the SAXS patterns were evaluated: The intermediate filament distance perpendicular to [...] Read more.
In this study, in operandi SAXS experiments were conducted on samples of human hair with a varying degree of strain (2% within the elastic region and 10% beyond). Four different features in the SAXS patterns were evaluated: The intermediate filament distance perpendicular to and the distance from the meridional arc in the load direction, as well as the distances of the lipid bilayer peak in and perpendicular to the load direction. From the literature, one concludes that polar lipids in the cuticle are the origin of the lipid peak in the SAXS pattern, and this study shows that the observed strain in the lipids is much lower than in the intermediate filaments. We support these findings with SEM micrographs, which show that the scales in the cuticle deform much less than the cortex. The observed deformation of the intermediate filaments is very high, about 70% of the macrostrain, and the ratio of the transverse strain to the longitudinal strain at the nanoscale gives a Poisson ratio of νnano = 0.44, which is typical for soft matter. This work also finds that by varying the time period between two strain cycles, the typical strain recovery time is about 1000 min, i.e., one day. After this period, the structure is nearly identical to the initial structure, which suggests an interpretation that this is the typical time for the self-healing of hair after mechanical treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’)
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19 pages, 1187 KiB  
Article
Computational Analysis of the Influence of Menopause and Ageing on Bone Mineral Density, Exploring the Impact of Bone Turnover and Focal Bone Balance—A Study on Overload and Underload Scenarios
by Feliciano Franco, Carlos Borau Zamora, Diego Martín Campana and Marcelo Eduardo Berli
Life 2023, 13(11), 2155; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13112155 - 2 Nov 2023
Viewed by 742
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the impact of hormonal imbalances during menopause, compounded by the natural ageing process, on bone health. Specifically, it examines the effects of increased bone turnover and focal bone balance on bone mass. A three-dimensional computational bone remodeling model [...] Read more.
This study aims to investigate the impact of hormonal imbalances during menopause, compounded by the natural ageing process, on bone health. Specifically, it examines the effects of increased bone turnover and focal bone balance on bone mass. A three-dimensional computational bone remodeling model was employed to simulate the response of the femur to habitual loads over a 19-year period, spanning premenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. The model was calibrated using experimental bone mineral density data from the literature to ensure accurate simulations. The study reveals that individual alterations in bone turnover or focal bone balance do not fully account for the observed experimental outcomes. Instead, simultaneous changes in both factors provide a more comprehensive explanation, leading to increased porosity while maintaining the material-to-apparent density ratio. Additionally, different load scenarios were tested, demonstrating that reaching the clinical osteoporosis threshold is independent of the timing of load changes. However, underload scenarios resulted in the threshold being reached approximately 6 years earlier than overload scenarios. These findings hold significant implications for strategies aimed at delaying the onset of osteoporosis and minimizing fracture risks through targeted mechanical stimulation during the early stages of menopause. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’)
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14 pages, 12721 KiB  
Article
A Comprehensive Mechanical Characterization of Subject-Specific 3D Printed Scaffolds Mimicking Trabecular Bone Architecture Biomechanics
by Laura Rojas-Rojas, Gianluca Tozzi and Teodolito Guillén-Girón
Life 2023, 13(11), 2141; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13112141 - 31 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1015
Abstract
This study presents a polymeric scaffold designed and manufactured to mimic the structure and mechanical compressive characteristics of trabecular bone. The morphological parameters and mechanical behavior of the scaffold were studied and compared with trabecular bone from bovine iliac crest. Its mechanical properties, [...] Read more.
This study presents a polymeric scaffold designed and manufactured to mimic the structure and mechanical compressive characteristics of trabecular bone. The morphological parameters and mechanical behavior of the scaffold were studied and compared with trabecular bone from bovine iliac crest. Its mechanical properties, such as modulus of elasticity and yield strength, were studied under a three-step monotonic compressive test. Results showed that the elastic modulus of the scaffold was 329 MPa, and the one for trabecular bone reached 336 MPa. A stepwise dynamic compressive test was used to assess the behavior of samples under various loading regimes. With microcomputed tomography (µCT), a three-dimensional reconstruction of the samples was obtained, and their porosity was estimated as 80% for the polymeric scaffold and 88% for trabecular bone. The full-field strain distribution of the samples was measured using in situ µCT mechanics and digital volume correlation (DVC). This provided information on the local microdeformation mechanism of the scaffolds when compared to that of the tissue. The comprehensive results illustrate the potential of the fabricated scaffolds as biomechanical templates for in vitro studies. Furthermore, there is potential for extending this structure and fabrication methodology to incorporate suitable biocompatible materials for both in vitro and in vivo clinical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’)
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11 pages, 1062 KiB  
Article
A Cross-Sectional Study of Bone Nanomechanics in Hip Fracture and Aging
by Richard Stavri, Tabitha Tay, Crispin C. Wiles, Erica Di Federico, Oliver Boughton, Shaocheng Ma, Angelo Karunaratne, John H. Churchwell, Rajarshi Bhattacharya, Nicholas J. Terrill, Justin P. Cobb, Ulrich Hansen and Richard L. Abel
Life 2023, 13(6), 1378; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061378 - 13 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1136
Abstract
Bone mechanics is well understood at every length scale except the nano-level. We aimed to investigate the relationship between bone nanoscale and tissue-level mechanics experimentally. We tested two hypotheses: (1) nanoscale strains were lower in hip fracture patients versus controls, and (2) nanoscale [...] Read more.
Bone mechanics is well understood at every length scale except the nano-level. We aimed to investigate the relationship between bone nanoscale and tissue-level mechanics experimentally. We tested two hypotheses: (1) nanoscale strains were lower in hip fracture patients versus controls, and (2) nanoscale mineral and fibril strains were inversely correlated with aging and fracture. A cross-sectional sample of trabecular bone sections was prepared from the proximal femora of two human donor groups (aged 44–94 years): an aging non-fracture control group (n = 17) and a hip-fracture group (n = 20). Tissue, fibril, and mineral strain were measured simultaneously using synchrotron X-ray diffraction during tensile load to failure, then compared between groups using unpaired t-tests and correlated with age using Pearson’s correlation. Controls exhibited significantly greater peak tissue, mineral, and fibril strains than the hip fracture (all p < 0.05). Age was associated with a decrease in peak tissue (p = 0.099) and mineral (p = 0.004) strain, but not fibril strain (p = 0.260). Overall, hip fracture and aging were associated with changes in the nanoscale strain that are reflected at the tissue level. Data must be interpreted within the limitations of the observational cross-sectional study design, so we propose two new hypotheses on the importance of nanomechanics. (1) Hip fracture risk is increased by low tissue strain, which can be caused by low collagen or mineral strain. (2) Age-related loss of tissue strain is dependent on the loss of mineral but not fibril strain. Novel insights into bone nano- and tissue-level mechanics could provide a platform for the development of bone health diagnostics and interventions based on failure mechanisms from the nanoscale up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hard and Soft Tissue Biomechanics ‘In Translation’)
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