Microstructure and Nanomechanical Properties of Single Trabecular Bone in Different Regions of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the microstructure and nanomechanical properties of single trabecular bone in different regions of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Osteonecrotic femoral heads were taken from 20 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasties between 2011 and 2014. Following incision, resin was embedded and polished, and divided into four regions according to the type of pathologic change; i.e., subchondral bone, and necrotic, sclerotic, and healthy regions. Indents from a single trabecular bone of each region were randomly selected to undergo nanoindentation. The results are (1) The elastic modulus and degree of hardness were significantly elevated in the sclerotic region, but there were no differences in necrotic and subchondral bone regions compared with healthy regions. (2) The elastic modulus and hardness of the single trabecular bone were significantly greater in central versus edge regions (for all regions). The conclusions are (1) The mechanical properties of single bone trabeculae were not markedly altered in the necrotic region. (2) The elastic modulus and degree of hardness increased significantly between the edge and central regions, regardless of whether the bone was normal or osteonecrotic.

Inhibition of PERK Signaling Prevents Against Glucocorticoid-induced Endotheliocyte Apoptosis and Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

“…This observation is consistent with earlier studies, which suggest that vessel injury is an initiating factor for the pathological processes of osteonecrosis (19,25,47), and that osteonecrosis is a series of secondary pathological changes in response to ischemia (4). ER stress is known to activate three major signaling pathways, such as the PERK-ATF4 axis, ATF6 signal transduction, and IRE1a cascade (24,33,41). ER stress may act as a two-edged sword in such diseases as ONFH.…”

Differential repair of osteonecrosis due to alternating freezing-heating insult and local absolute alcohol injection in rats

“…All tests were conducted using the continuous stiffness measurement procedure as previously reported by Wang et al [20] . The Oliver-Pharr method, which assumes that any tip-sample contact is purely elastic, was used for data analysis [20,21] . Elastic modulus and hardness of trabecular were recorded.…”

The Role of Structural Deterioration and Biomechanical Changes of the Necrotic Lesion in Collapse Mechanism of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

“…Bone reconstruction after osteonecrosis has an impact on the bone microstructures in the necrotic lesion, and alters the bone mechanical properties gradually 84 . Wang et al 85 . performed nanoindentation experiments on single bone trabeculae and found that the nanomechanical performance (elastic modulus and degree of hardness) of single trabecular bone in the necrotic region showed no difference with that in healthy bone region.…”

“…Bone reconstruction after osteonecrosis has an impact on the bone microstructures in the necrotic lesion, and alters the bone mechanical properties gradually 84 . Wang et al 85 performed nanoindentation experiments on single bone trabeculae and found that the nanomechanical performance (elastic modulus and degree of hardness) of single trabecular bone in the necrotic region showed no difference with that in healthy bone region. The authors suggested that the direct result for the degradation of mechanical performance and subsequent femoral head collapse was the structure changes of bone trabeculae in macrostructure.…”