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Mechanical Loading (mechanical + loading)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	51%
Life Sciences	27%
Engineering	9%
Polymers and Materials Science	6%
3 Other Domains	7%

Kinds of Mechanical Loading

cyclic mechanical loading

Selected Abstracts

Upregulation of Osteopontin by Osteocytes Deprived of Mechanical Loading or Oxygen,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2005
Ted S Gross PhD
Abstract The pathway(s) by which disuse is transduced into locally mediated osteoclastic resorption remain unknown. We found that both acute disuse (in vivo) and direct hypoxia (in vitro) induced rapid upregulation of OPN expression by osteocytes. Within the context of OPN's role in osteoclast migration and attachment, hypoxia-induced osteocyte OPN expression may serve to mediate disuse-induced bone resorption. Introduction: We have recently reported that disuse induces osteocyte hypoxia. Because hypoxia upregulates osteopontin (OPN) in nonconnective tissue cells, we hypothesized that both disuse and hypoxia would rapidly elevate expression of OPN by osteocytes. Materials and Methods: The response of osteocytes to 24 h of disuse was explored by isolating the left ulna diaphysis of adult male turkeys from loading (n = 5). Cortical osteocytes staining positive for OPN were determined using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. In vitro experiments were performed to determine if OPN expression was altered in MLO-Y4 osteocytes by direct hypoxia (3, 6, 24, and 48 h) or hypoxia (3 and 24 h) followed by 24 h of reoxygenation. A final in vitro experiment explored the potential of protein kinase C (PKC) to regulate hypoxia-induced osteocyte OPN mRNA alterations. Results: We found that 24 h of disuse significantly elevated osteocyte OPN expression in vivo (145% versus intact bones; p = 0.02). We confirmed this finding in vitro, by observing rapid and significant upregulation of OPN protein expression after 24 and 48 h of hypoxia. Whereas 24 h of reoxygenation after 3 h of hypoxia restored normal osteocyte OPN expression levels, 24 h of reoxygenation after 24 h of hypoxia did not mitigate elevated osteocyte OPN expression. Finally, preliminary inhibitor studies suggested that PKC serves as a potent upstream regulator of hypoxia-induced osteocyte OPN expression. Conclusions: Given the documented roles of OPN as a mediator of environmental stress (e.g., hypoxia), an osteoclast chemotaxant, and a modulator of osteoclastic attachment to bone, we speculate that hypoxia-induced osteocyte OPN expression may serve to mediate disuse-induced osteoclastic resorption. Furthermore, it seems that a brief window of time exists in which reoxygenation (as might be achieved by reloading bone) can serve to inhibit this pathway. [source]

Role of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Skeletal Adaptation to Acute Increases in Mechanical Loading,,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2002
Makoto Watanuki M.D.
Abstract To clarify the role of nitric oxide (NO) in regulation of bone metabolism in response to skeletal loading, we examined inducible NO synthase (iNOS) gene knockout mice in the tail-suspension model. Histomorphometric analyses of proximal tibias revealed that 7 days of tail suspension decreased the bone volume (BV/TV) and bone formation rate (BFR/BS) and increased the osteoclast surface (Oc.S/BS) in mice with all iNOS genotypes. Both iNOS+/+ and iNOS+/, mice responded to subsequent 14-day reloading, with increases in BV/TV and BFR/BS and a decrease in Oc.S/BS, whereas these responses were abolished in iNOS,/, mice. The osteoblasts flattened after tail suspension appeared cuboidal during subsequent reloading. Immunoreactivity for iNOS was detected in these osteoblasts and osteocytes by immunohistochemistry. These defective responses after reloading were rescued in iNOS,/, mice by treatment with an NO donor nitroglycerine (NG). Conversely, the responses in iNOS+/+ mice were inhibited by treatment with an NOS inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG). In bone marrow cell cultures, mineralized nodules derived from iNOS,/, mice after reloading were significantly reduced. Taken together, our results suggest that NO generated by iNOS in osteoblasts plays a critical role in adjusting bone turnover and increasing osteogenic activity in response to the acute increase in mechanical loading after tail suspension. [source]

Domain Switching Under Cyclic Mechanical Loading in Lead Zirconate Titanate

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 11 2006
Soodkhet Pojprapai (Imlao)
The domain-switching behavior of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) during mechanical cyclic loading between 10 and 150 MPa was investigated by in situ time-of-flight neutron diffraction. The domain-switching behavior was represented by a change of the pole density distribution during cycling. With increasing number of cycles, domain switching becomes saturated, correlating with a decrease in the rate of remnant strain accumulation in the stress,strain curve. Moreover, a relationship was demonstrated between the macroscopic strain and that developed from ferroelastic domain switching. The contribution of ferroelastic strain to the macroscopic strain was calculated from an orientation average of the domain switching distributions and the c/a ratio. The results show that nearly 80% of macroscopic strain arises from ferroelastic domain switching during mechanical cyclic loading. [source]

Bone adaptation to load: microdamage as a stimulus for bone remodelling

JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 6 2002
T. C. Lee
Abstract Mechanical loading in the proximal radius was increased by ulnar osteotomy (Group O), altered by Steinmann pinning (Group P) or unaltered in sham operated controls (Group C) in skeletally mature female sheep, aged 2,4 years. A series of intravenous fluorochromes were given to label bone formation and fuchsin-stained microdamage assessed at intervals of up to 24 weeks. Microcracks were present in all groups and were found in the original cortex near the periosteal surface. No microcracks were found in the new, fibrolamellar bone laid down at periosteal or endosteal surfaces. Mean microcrack length (49 µm, SD 10 µm) did not differ between groups or over time. Microcrack numerical and surface densities and resorption cavity density peaked in all groups at 6 weeks, consistent with a regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP), but the peaks were significantly greater in Group O. The density of refilling or secondary osteons peaked at 10 weeks and the mean time required for the formation of an osteon was 7.51 ± 0.59 weeks. Fatigue-induced microdamage is normally present in bone and is increased due to repetitive loading of the mechanically overloaded radius. The location and timing of microcracks, resorption cavities and secondary osteons are consistent with the activation-resorption-formation remodelling cycle and suggest that microdamage is a stimulus for bone remodelling. [source]

Mechanical stretching induces osteoprotegerin in differentiating C2C12 precursor cells through noncanonical Wnt Pathways,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 5 2010
Hsiao-Chi Yu
Abstract Mechanical loading is known to be important for maintaining the formation and resorption rates of bone. To study the mechanisms by which mechanical loading regulates osteogenesis, we investigated the role of the Wnt pathway in C2C12 cells committed to osteogenic differentiation in response to cyclic mechanical stretching. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) acts as a decoy receptor for RANKL to inhibit osteoclastogenesis and resorption of bone. Our results demonstrate that stretching leads to a sustained increase in OPG expression in C2C12 cells. The expression of osteogenic marker genes, such as osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase, was transiently decreased by stretching at 24 hours and returned to control levels at 48 hours. The addition of inhibitors of the canonical Wnt/,-catenin pathways, such as the secreted FZD-related peptide sRFP2, as well as siRNA-mediated knockdown, did not inhibit the effect of stretching on OPG expression. In contrast, treatment with inhibitors of noncanonical Wnt signaling, including KN93, and siRNA for Nemo-like kinase (NLK) blocked most of the mechanical inductive effect on OPG. Furthermore, stretching-induced OPG production in the culture medium was able to inhibit the osteoclast formation of bone marrow macrophages. These results suggest that mechanical stretching may play an important role in bone remodeling through the upregulation of OPG and that the mechanical signaling leading to OPG induction involves the noncanonical Wnt pathway. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research [source]

Fluid Flow Induction of Cyclo-Oxygenase 2 Gene Expression in Osteoblasts Is Dependent on an Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling Pathway,,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002
Sunil Wadhwa
Abstract Mechanical loading of bone may be transmitted to osteocytes and osteoblasts via shear stresses at cell surfaces generated by the flow of interstitial fluid. The stimulated production of prostaglandins, which mediates some effects of mechanical loading on bone, is dependent on inducible cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) in bone cells. We examined the fluid shear stress (FSS) induction of COX-2 gene expression in immortalized MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells stably transfected with ,371/+70 base pairs (bp) of the COX-2 5,-flanking DNA (Pluc371) and in primary osteoblasts (POBs) from calvaria of mice transgenic for Pluc371. Cells were plated on collagen-coated glass slides and subjected to steady laminar FSS in a parallel plate flow chamber. FSS, from 0.14 to10 dynes/cm2, induced COX-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein. FSS (10 dynes/cm2) induced COX-2 mRNA within 30 minutes, with peak effects at 4 h in MC3T3-E1 cells and at ,8 h in POBs. An inhibitor of new protein synthesis puromycin blocked the peak induction of COX-2 mRNA by FSS. COX-2 promoter activity, measured as luciferase activity, correlated with COX-2 mRNA expression in both MC3T3-E1 and POB cells. FSS induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in MC3T3-E1 cells, with peak effects at 5 minutes. Inhibiting ERK phosphorylation with the specific inhibitor PD98059 inhibited FSS induction of COX-2 mRNA by 55-70% and FSS stimulation of luciferase activity by ,80% in both MC3T3-E1 and POB cells. We conclude that FSS transcriptionally induces COX-2 gene expression in osteoblasts, that the maximum induction requires new protein synthesis, and that induction occurs largely via an ERK signaling pathway. [source]

Effects of Wall Stress on the Dynamics of Ventricular Fibrillation: A Simulation Study Using a Dynamic Mechanoelectric Model of Ventricular Tissue

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2008
SATOKO HIRABAYASHI master of environment
Introduction: To investigate the mechanisms underlying the increased prevalence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the mechanically compromised heart, we developed a fully coupled electromechanical model of the human ventricular myocardium. Methods and Results: The model formulated the biophysics of specific ionic currents, excitation,contraction coupling, anisotropic nonlinear deformation of the myocardium, and mechanoelectric feedback (MEF) through stretch-activated channels. Our model suggests that sustained stretches shorten the action potential duration (APD) and flatten the electrical restitution curve, whereas stretches applied at the wavefront prolong the APD. Using this model, we examined the effects of mechanical stresses on the dynamics of spiral reentry. The strain distribution during spiral reentry was complex, and a high strain-gradient region was located in the core of the spiral wave. The wavefront around the core was highly stretched, even at lower pressures, resulting in prolongation of the APD and extension of the refractory area in the wavetail. As the left ventricular pressure increased, the stretched area became wider and the refractory area was further extended. The extended refractory area in the wavetail facilitated the wave breakup and meandering of tips through interactions between the wavefront and wavetail. Conclusions: This simulation study indicates that mechanical loading promotes meandering and wave breaks of spiral reentry through MEF. Mechanical loading under pathological conditions may contribute to the maintenance of VF through these mechanisms. [source]

Mechanical loading stimulates ecto-ATPase activity in human tendon cells

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2005
M. Tsuzaki
Abstract Response to external stimuli such as mechanical signals is critical for normal function of cells, especially when subjected to repetitive motion. Tenocytes receive mechanical stimuli from the load-bearing matrix as tension, compression, and shear stress during tendon gliding. Overloading a tendon by high strain, shear, or repetitive motion can cause matrix damage. Injury may induce cytokine expression, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and activation resulting in loss of biomechanical properties. These changes may result in tendinosis or tendinopathy. Alternatively, an immediate effector molecule may exist that acts in a signal-dampening pathway. Adenosine 5,-triphosphate (ATP) is a candidate signal blocker of mechanical stimuli. ATP suppresses load-inducible inflammatory genes in human tendon cells in vitro. ATP and other extracellular nucleotide signaling are regulated efficiently by two distinct mechanisms: purinoceptors via specific receptor,ligand binding and ecto-nucleotidases via the hydrolysis of specific nucleotide substrates. ATP is released from tendon cells by mechanical loading or by uridine 5,-triphosphate (UTP) stimulation. We hypothesized that mechanical loading might stimulate ecto-ATPase activity. Human tendon cells of surface epitenon (TSC) and internal compartment (TIF) were cyclically stretched (1 Hz, 0.035 strain, 2 h) with or without ATP. Aliquots of the supernatant fluids were collected at various time points, and ATP concentration (ATP) was determined by a luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence assay. Total RNA was isolated from TSC and TIF (three patients) and mRNA expression for ecto-nucleotidase was analyzed by RT-PCR. Human tendon cells secreted ATP in vitro (0.5,1 nM). Exogenous ATP was hydrolyzed within minutes. Mechanical load stimulated ATPase activity. ATP was hydrolyzed in mechanically loaded cultures at a significantly greater rate compared to no load controls. Tenocytes (TSC and TIF) expressed ecto-nucleotidase mRNA (ENTPD3 and ENPP1, ENPP2). These data suggest that motion may release ATP from tendon cells in vivo, where ecto-ATPase may also be activated to hydrolyze ATP quickly. Ecto-ATPase may act as a co-modulator in ATP load-signal modulation by regulating the half-life of extracellular purine nucleotides. The extracellular ATP/ATPase system may be important for tendon homeostasis by protecting tendon cells from responding to excessive load signals and activating injurious pathways. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Prostaglandin D2 pathway and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ,-1 expression are induced by mechanical loading in an osteoblastic cell line

JOURNAL OF PERIODONTAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006
Chitpol Siddhivarn
Objective:, The hypothesis underlying the current study was that the arachidonic acid cascade, specifically activation of the prostaglandin (PG) D2 pathway in osteoblasts, is an anabolic signal induced by mechanical loading. Background:, Previous studies have shown that mechanical loading of osteoblasts triggers cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, PGE2 and prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis. Since modest mechanical loading of osteoblasts promotes bone formation, we sought to determine whether mechanical stress activates the osteoblastic PGD2 pathway resulting in the synthesis of osteogenic cyclopentenones, including ,12PGJ2. Methods:, Osteoblast monolayers were stretched using a Bioflex apparatus at a frequency of 1 Hz with 1% elongation. Cells and cell media were collected at various time points: 5, 10, 15, 30 min; and 1, 4, 16, 24 h. RNA was extracted for quantitative reverse transcriptase,polymerase chain reaction (RT,PCR). In certain experiments, cells were pre-labeled with 14C arachidonic acid prior to stretching. Radiolabeled metabolites in cell media were identified by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Osteoblasts were evaluated for an induction in bone nodule formation by stretching. Results:, Mechanical strain significantly increased mRNA expression of COX-1, COX-2, PGD2 synthase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ,-1, but not of PPAR,-2 as compared to control unstretched cells (p < 0.05). Mechanical loading stimulated the release of PGE2, PGD2 and the PGD2 metabolite ,12PGJ2. Mechanical strain resulted in the induction of bone nodules. Conclusions:, This report indicates that mechanical loading of osteoblasts results in activation of PGD2 and the concomitant expression of transcription factor PPAR,-1 mRNA. The coordinated synthesis of ,12PGJ2, a natural ligand for PPAR,-1, with the increased expression of PPAR,-1, suggests that biomechanical transduction pathways that initially involve the activation of cyclooxygenases may also involve the activation of the ,12PGJ2,PPAR pathway. [source]

Functional adaptation of the femoral head to voluntary exercise

THE ANATOMICAL RECORD : ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2006
Jeffrey H. Plochocki
Abstract The functional adaptation of limb joints during postnatal ontogeny is necessary to maintain proper joint function. Joint form is modified primarily through differential rates of articular cartilage proliferation across articular surfaces during endochondral growth. This process is hypothesized to be mechanically regulated by the magnitude and orientation of stresses in the articular cartilage. However, the adaptation of limb joint morphology to the mechanical environment is poorly understood. We investigate the effects of voluntary exercise on femoral head morphology in 7-week-old female mice of the inbred strain C57BL/6J. The mice were divided into a control group and a group treated with voluntary access to an activity wheel for the duration of the 4-week study. Histomorphometric comparisons of chondral and osseous joint tissue of the proximal femur were made between control and exercise treatment groups. We find that exercised mice have significantly thicker articular cartilage with greater chondral tissue area and cellularity. Exercised mice also exhibit significantly greater bone tissue area and longer and flatter subchondral surfaces. No significant difference is found in the curvature of the articular cartilage or the length of the chondral articular surface between groups. These data suggest that a complex mechanistic relationship exists between joint stress and joint form. Joint tissue response to loading is multifaceted, involving both size and shape changes. Our data support the hypothesis that joint growth is ontogenetically plastic. Mechanical loading significantly influences chondral and subchondral tissue proliferation to provide greater support against increased mechanical loading. Anat Rec Part A, 288A:776,781, 2006 © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Chondroprotective role of the osmotically sensitive ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4: Age- and sex-dependent progression of osteoarthritis in Trpv4 -deficient mice

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 10 2010
Andrea L. Clark
Objective Mechanical loading significantly influences the physiology and pathology of articular cartilage, although the mechanisms of mechanical signal transduction are not fully understood. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a Ca++ -permeable ion channel that is highly expressed by articular chondrocytes and can be gated by osmotic and mechanical stimuli. The goal of this study was to determine the role of Trpv4 in the structure of the mouse knee joint and to determine whether Trpv4,/, mice exhibit altered Ca++ signaling in response to osmotic challenge. Methods Knee joints of Trpv4,/, mice were examined histologically and by microfocal computed tomography for osteoarthritic changes and bone structure at ages 4, 6, 9, and 12 months. Fluorescence imaging was used to quantify chondrocytic Ca++ signaling within intact femoral cartilage in response to osmotic stimuli. Results Deletion of Trpv4 resulted in severe osteoarthritic changes, including cartilage fibrillation, eburnation, and loss of proteoglycans, that were dependent on age and male sex. Subchondral bone volume and calcified meniscal volume were greatly increased, again in male mice. Chondrocytes from Trpv4+/+ mice demonstrated significant Ca++ responses to hypo-osmotic stress but not to hyperosmotic stress. The response to hypo-osmotic stress or to the TRPV4 agonist 4,-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate was eliminated in Trpv4,/, mice. Conclusion Deletion of Trpv4 leads to a lack of osmotically induced Ca++ signaling in articular chondrocytes, accompanied by progressive, sex-dependent increases in bone density and osteoarthritic joint degeneration. These findings suggest a critical role for TRPV4-mediated Ca++ signaling in the maintenance of joint health and normal skeletal structure. [source]

Resin composite shrinkage and marginal adaptation with different pulse-delay light curing protocols

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 6 2005
Ivo Krejci
The aims of this study were, first, to measure shrinkage induced by different methods of pulse-delay light curing and, second, to verify their influence on the marginal adaptation of class V restorations in enamel and dentin. Eight groups, comprising seven groups (n = 6) with different pulse-delay parameters and a control group, were compared for dynamic linear displacement and force by using a fine hybrid composite. Based on these results, the pulse-delay curing procedure with the lowest shrinkage force was chosen and tested against the control group with respect to marginal adaptation in class V restorations (n = 8) before and after simultaneous thermal and mechanical loading. Statistically significant differences between groups were found for both shrinkage properties tested, with one pulse-delay group giving the lowest overall shrinkage values. However, the percentages of ,continuous margin' of this group, and of the control before and after loading, were not significantly different in dentin, whereas a significantly lower percentage of ,continuous margin' was detected in the pulse-delay group in enamel after loading. [source]

In vitro evaluation of marginal and internal adaptation after occlusal stressing of indirect class II composite restorations with different resinous bases

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 1 2003
Didier Dietschi
Composite inlays are indicated for large cavities, which frequently extend cervically into dentin. The purpose of this study was to compare in vitro the marginal and internal adaptation of class II fine hybrid composite inlays (Herculite, Kerr) made with or without composite bases, having different physical properties. Freshly extracted human molars were used for this study. The base extended up to the cervical margins on both sides and was made from Revolution (Kerr), Tetric flow (Vivadent), Dyract (Detrey-Dentsply) or Prodigy (Kerr), respectively. Before, during and after mechanical loading (1 million cycles, with a force varying from 50 to 100 N), the proximal margins of the inlay were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Experimental data were analysed using non-parametric tests. The final percentages of marginal tooth fracture varied from 30.7% (no base) to 37.6% (Dyract). In dentin, percentages of marginal opening varied from 9.2% (Tetric Flow) to 30.1% (Prodigy), however, without significant difference between base products. Mean values of opened internal interface with dentin varied from 11.06% (Tetric Flow) to 28.15% (Prodigy). The present results regarding dentin adaptation confirmed that the physical properties of a base can influence composite inlay adaptation and that the medium-rigid flowable composite Tetric Flow is a potential material to displace, in a coronal position, proximal margins underneath composite inlays. [source]

Crack Propagation in Tool Steel X38CrMoV5 (AISI H11) in SET Specimens,

ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 9 2009
Masood Shah
An approach is proposed for the evaluation of surface fatigue damage of hot forming tools that undergo severe thermo mechanical loading. Fatigue crack propagation in a hot work tool steel X38CrMoV5-47HRC is investigated using single-edge cracked tension specimens with 3 different thicknesses (2.5, 1, 0.6,mm) and two R-values. [source]

Biodegradable Polymer Crosslinker: Independent Control of Stiffness, Toughness, and Hydrogel Degradation Rate

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 19 2009
Chaenyung Cha
Abstract Hydrogels are being increasingly studied for use in various biomedical applications including drug delivery and tissue engineering. The successful use of a hydrogel in these applications greatly relies on a refined control of the mechanical properties including stiffness, toughness, and the degradation rate. However, it is still challenging to control the hydrogel properties in an independent manner due to the interdependency between hydrogel properties. Here it is hypothesized that a biodegradable polymeric crosslinker would allow for decoupling of the dependency between the properties of various hydrogel materials. This hypothesis is examined using oxidized methacrylic alginate (OMA). The OMA is synthesized by partially oxidizing alginate to generate hydrolytically labile units and conjugating methacrylic groups. It is used to crosslink poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate and poly(N -hydroxymethyl acrylamide) to form three-dimensional hydrogel systems. OMA significantly improves rigidity and toughness of both hydrogels as compared with a small molecule crosslinker, and also controls the degradation rate of hydrogels depending on the oxidation degree, without altering their initial mechanical properties. The protein-release rate from a hydrogel and subsequent angiogenesis in vivo are thus regulated with the chemical structure of OMA. Overall, the results of this study suggests that the use of OMA as a crosslinker will allow the implantation of a hydrogel in tissue subject to an external mechanical loading with a desired protein-release profile. The OMA synthesized in this study will be, therefore, highly useful to independently control the mechanical properties and degradation rate of a wide array of hydrogels. [source]

An enhanced constitutive model for crushable granular materials

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 6 2010
Ali Daouadji
Abstract Studies in the past have tried to reproduce the mechanical behaviour of granular materials by proposing constitutive relations based on a common assumption that model parameters and parameters describing the properties, including gradation of individual grains are inevitably linked. However successful these models have proved to be, they cannot account for the changes in granular assembly behaviour if the grains start to break during mechanical loading. This paper proposes to analyse the relation between grading change and the mechanical behaviour of granular assembly. A way to model the influence of grain breakage is to use a critical state-based model. The influence of the amount of grain breakage during loading, depending on the individual grain strength and size distribution, can be introduced into constitutive relations by means of a new parameter that controls the evolution of critical state with changes in grain size distribution. Experimental data from a calcareous sand, a quartz sand, and a rockfill material were compared with numerical results and good-quality simulations were obtained. The main consequences of grain breakage are increased compressibility and a gradual dilatancy disappearance in the granular material. The critical state concept is also enriched by considering its overall relation to the evolution of the granular material. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Fabric evolution during hydromechanical loading of a compacted silt

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 6 2004
Olivier Cuisinier
Abstract A study was undertaken on a compacted silt to determine fabric modifications induced by suction and/or stress variations. The link between fabric and hydromechanical behaviour was also investigated. A suction-controlled oedometer, using air overpressure, was developed for this purpose and mercury intrusion porosimetry was employed to determine sample fabric. The initial samples fabric was made of macro and micropores. It was shown that suction increase produced a strong decrease in the macroporosity associated with an increase in microporosity. However, some macropores were not significantly affected by the suction increase; this phenomenon might be related to the initial fabric of the samples. Second, it appears that loading under saturated conditions also produces strong fabric modification: the higher the applied stress, the lower the macroporosity. Soil fabric depends on the maximum stress experienced by the soil. Finally, some tests have shown the influence of suction, as well as the role of the degree of saturation, on the deformation process and the mechanical behaviour. The test results show that in the case of unsaturated mechanical loading, all macropores are not destroyed by the mechanical loading. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Modelling of elastoplastic damage in concrete due to desiccation shrinkage

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 8 2002
F. Bourgeois
We present a numerical modelling of elastoplastic damage due to drying shrinkage of concrete in the framework of mechanics of partially saturated porous media. An elastoplastic model coupled with isotropic damage is first formulated. Two plastic flow mechanisms are involved, controlled by applied stress and suction, respectively. A general concept of net effective stress is used in take into account effects of capillary pressure and material damage on stress-controlled plastic deformation. Damage evolution depends both on elastic and plastic strains. The model's parameters are determined or chosen from relevant experimental data. Comparisons between numerical simulations and experimental data are presented to show the capacity of model to reproduce mains features of concrete behaviour under mechanical loading and during drying shrinkage of concrete. An example of application concerning drying of a concrete wall is finally presented. The results obtained allow to show potential capacity of proposed model for numerical modelling of complex coupling processes in concrete structures. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Improvements and algorithmical considerations on a recent three-dimensional model describing stress-induced solid phase transformations

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 11 2002
Ferdinando Auricchio
Abstract During mechanical loading,unloading cycles shape-memory alloys (SMA) are able to undergo large deformations without showing residual strains (pseudoelasticity) or recovering them through thermal cycles (shape memory effect). Motivated by stress-induced solid phase transformations, these unique behaviours induce the SMA exploitation in innovative and commercially valuable applications, stimulating, consequently, the interest in the development of constitutive models. Also if many models are now available in the literature, effective three-dimensional proposals are still few and limited in several aspects. In this paper, a three-dimensional thermomechanical model recently proposed by Souza et al. (European Journal of Mechanics,A/Solids, 1998; 17: 789,806.) is taken into consideration; such a model is of particular interest for its effectiveness and flexibility, but it also shows some limitations and missing links in the algorithmical counterparts. This work discusses some improvements to the original model as well as the development and the implementation of a robust integration algorithm to be adopted in a numerical scheme, such as a finite-element framework. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

In vitro degradation of articular cartilage: does trypsin treatment produce consistent results?

JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 2 2006
H. R. Moody
Abstract It is common practice in laboratories to create models of degraded articular cartilage in vitro and use these to study the effects of degeneration on cartilage responses to external stimuli such as mechanical loading. However, there are inconsistencies in the reported action of trypsin, and there is no guide on the concentration of trypsin or the time to which a given sample can be treated so that a specific level of proteoglycan depletion is achieved. This paper argues that before any level of confidence can be established in comparative analysis it is necessary to first obtain samples with similar properties. Consequently, we examine the consistency of the outcome of the artificial modification of cartilage relative to the effects of the common enzyme, trypsin, used in the process of in vitro proteoglycan depletion. The results demonstrate that for a given time and enzyme concentration, the action of trypsin on proteoglycans is highly variable and is dependent on the initial distribution and concentration of proteoglycans at different depths, the intrinsic sample depth, the location in the joint space and the medium type, thereby sounding a note of caution to researchers attempting to model a proteoglycan-based degeneration of articular cartilage in their experimental studies. [source]

Hydrothermal and mechanical stresses degrade fiber,matrix interfacial bond strength in dental fiber-reinforced composites

JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006
Serge Bouillaguet
Abstract Fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) show great promise as long-term restorative materials in dentistry and medicine. Recent evidence indicates that these materials degrade in vivo, but the mechanisms are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate mechanisms of deterioration of glass fiber,polymer matrix bond strengths in dental fiber-reinforced composites during hydrothermal and mechanical aging. Conventional three-point bending tests on dental FRCs were used to assess flexural strengths and moduli. Micro push-out tests were used to measure glass fiber,polymer matrix bond strengths, and nanoindentation tests were used to determine the modulus of elasticity of fiber and polymer matrix phases separately. Bar-shaped specimens of FRCs (EverStick, StickTech, and Vectris Pontic, Ivoclar-Vivadent) were either stored at room temperature, in water (37 and 100°C) or subjected to ageing (106 cycles, load: 49 N), then tested by three-point bending. Thin slices were prepared for micro push-out and nanoindentation tests. The ultimate flexural strengths of both FRCs were significantly reduced after aging (p < 0.05). Both water storage and mechanical loading reduced the interfacial bond strengths of glass fibers to polymer matrices. Nanoindentation tests revealed a slight reduction in the elastic modulus of the EverStick and Vectris Pontic polymer matrix after water storage. Mechanical properties of FRC materials degrade primarily by a loss of interfacial bond strength between the glass and resin phases. This degradation is detectable by micro push-out and nanoindentation methods. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2006 [source]

Mechanical stretching induces osteoprotegerin in differentiating C2C12 precursor cells through noncanonical Wnt Pathways,

Estrogen and Bone,a Reproductive and Locomotive Perspective,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 11 2003
Teppo Ln Järvinen MD
Abstract The primary function of the skeleton is locomotion, and the primary function of estrogen is reproduction. When the skeleton is considered within this locomotive context, the onset of estrogen secretion at puberty leads to packing of mechanically excess mineral into female bones for reproductive needs. Accordingly, the unpacking of this reproductive safety deposit at menopause denotes the origin of type I osteoporosis. Introduction: According to the prevailing unitary model of involutional osteoporosis, female postmenopausal bone loss can be described as having an initial accelerated, transient phase (type I), followed by a gradual continuous phase (type II). Estrogen withdrawal is generally accepted as the primary cause of the type I osteoporosis. Thus, the quest to uncover the origin of type I osteoporosis has focused on the estrogen withdrawal-related skeletal changes at and around the menopause. However, considering that the cyclical secretion of estrogen normally begins in early adolescence and continues over the entire fertile period, one could argue that focusing on perimenopause alone may be too narrow. Materials and Methods: This is not a systematic review of the literature on the skeletal function of estrogen(s), but rather, an introduction of a novel structure- and locomotion-oriented perspective to this particular issue through pertinent experimental and clinical studies. Results and Conclusions: When considering locomotion as the primary function of the skeleton and integrating the classic findings of the pubertal effects of estrogen on female bones and the more recent hypothesis-driven experimental and clinical studies on estrogen and mechanical loading on bone within this context, a novel evolution-based explanation for the role of estrogen in controlling female bone mass can be outlined: the onset of estrogen secretion at puberty induces packing of mechanically excess bone into female skeleton for needs of reproduction (pregnancy and lactation). Accordingly, the unpacking of this reproductive safety deposit of calcium at menopause denotes the accelerated phase of bone loss and thus the origin of type I osteoporosis. [source]

Climbing Exercise Increases Bone Mass and Trabecular Bone Turnover Through Transient Regulation of Marrow Osteogenic and Osteoclastogenic Potentials in Mice,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 11 2003
Toshiharu Mori
Abstract To investigate the relationship between the effects of bone turnover and bone marrow cell development in bone cells, we developed a mouse voluntary climbing exercise model. Climbing exercise increased bone volume and transient osteogenic potential of bone marrow. This model would be suitable for investigating the mechanistic roles of mechanical loading. Introduction: The relationship between bone mass gain and local bone formation and resorption in mechanically loaded bone is not well understood. Materials and Methods: Sixty-five C57BL/6J mice, 8 weeks of age, were assigned to five groups: a baseline control and two groups each of ground control and climbing exercise mice for 2 and 4 weeks. Mice were housed in a 100-cm tower and had to climb toward a bottle placed at the top to drink water. Results: Compared with the ground control, bone mineral density of the left femur increased in the climbing mice at 4 weeks. At 2 and 4 weeks, bone formation rate (BFR/BS) of periosteal surface, the cross-sectional area, and moment of inertia were increased in the climbing mice, whereas BFR/BS and eroded surface (ES/BS) of endosteal surface did not differ. The trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) of the proximal tibia increased in climbing mice, and osteoclast surface (Oc.S/BS) and osteoclast number decreased at 2 weeks. At 4 weeks, there were increases in BV/TV and parameters of bone formation, including mineralized surface, mineral apposition rate, and bone formation rate. In marrow cell cultures from the tibia, the number of alkaline phosphatase+ colony forming units-fibroblastic and the area of mineralized nodule formation in climbing mice were increased, and the number of osteoclast-like TRACP+ multinucleated cells was lower at 2 weeks. At 4 weeks, these parameters recovered to the levels of the ground controls. Conclusion: Our results indicate that climbing increased trabecular bone volume and reduced bone resorption, with a subsequent increase in bone formation. Intermittent climbing downregulates marrow osteoclastogenic cells and upregulates osteogenic cells initially, but further exercise seemed to desensitize them. Cortical envelopes were enlarged earlier, but the response seems to differ from trabecular bone. [source]

Ten-Year Longitudinal Relationship Between Physical Activity and Lumbar Bone Mass in (Young) Adults,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2003
Ingrid Bakker
Abstract Little is known about the influence of long-term daily physical activity (PA) on lumbar bone mass after peak bone mass has been reached, that is, during [young] adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between PA and lumbar bone mineral density (LBMD) in healthy subjects over a 10-year period. The data reported here relate to 225 male and 241 female participants in the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study, who were measured at the mean ages of 27, 32, and/or 36. LBMD, habitual daily PA, total body weight, and calcium intake were assessed at each measurement point. The effects of two aspects of PA were analyzed: the mechanical (MECHPA; sum of all ground reaction forces) and metabolic (METPA; weighted metabolic score of intensity, frequency, and duration) components, each within a separate model. Multilevel analysis was used to investigate the relationship between PA and LBMD over the 10-year period. Gender, total body weight, and calcium intake were included in the analysis as covariates. The results indicated that MECHPA was a significant positive linear predictor of LBMD for males (r = 0.09; p < 0.001) but not for females. For the METPA, no linear longitudinal relationship with LBMD was found. The results suggest that there is a metabolic threshold at which extra PA becomes "deleterious" and METPA in its totality becomes ineffective for LBMD. It is concluded that during the (young) adult period, between 27 and 36 years of age, PA causing mechanical loading on the skeleton has a small positive influence on LBMD in males. [source]

Role of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Skeletal Adaptation to Acute Increases in Mechanical Loading,,

Fluid Flow Induction of Cyclo-Oxygenase 2 Gene Expression in Osteoblasts Is Dependent on an Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling Pathway,,

Measurement of Midfemoral Shaft Geometry: Repeatability and Accuracy Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 12 2001
Helen J. Woodhead
Abstract Although macroscopic geometric architecture is an important determinant of bone strength, there is limited published information relating to the validation of the techniques used in its measurement. This study describes new techniques for assessing geometry at the midfemur using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and examines both the repeatability and the accuracy of these and previously described DXA methods. Contiguous transverse MRI (Philips 1.5T) scans of the middle one-third femur were made in 13 subjects, 3 subjects with osteoporosis. Midpoint values for total width (TW), cortical width (CW), total cross-sectional area (TCSA), cortical cross-sectional area (CCSA), and volumes from reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) images (total volume [TV] and cortical volume [CVol]) were derived. Midpoint TW and CW also were determined using DXA (Lunar V3.6, lumbar software) by visual and automated edge detection analysis. Repeatability was assessed on scans made on two occasions and then analyzed twice by two independent observers (blinded), with intra- and interobserver repeatability expressed as the CV (CV ± SD). Accuracy was examined by comparing MRI and DXA measurements of venison bone (and Perspex phantom for MRI), against "gold standard" measures made by vernier caliper (width), photographic image digitization (area) and water displacement (volume). Agreement between methods was analyzed using mean differences (MD ± SD%). MRI CVs ranged from 0.5 ± 0.5% (TV) to 3.1 ± 3.1% (CW) for intraobserver and 0.55 ± 0.5% (TV) to 3.6 ± 3.6% (CW) for interobserver repeatability. DXA results ranged from 1.6 ± 1.5% (TW) to 4.4 ± 4.5% (CW) for intraobserver and 3.8 ± 3.8% (TW) to 8.3 ± 8.1% (CW) for interobserver variation. MRI accuracy was excellent for TV (3.3 ± 6.4%), CVol (3.5 ± 4.0%), TCSA (1.8 ± 2.6%), and CCSA (1.6 ± 4.2%) but not TW (4.1 ± 1.4%) or CW (16.4 ± 14.9%). DXA results were TW (6.8 ± 2.7%) and CW (16.4 ± 17.0%). MRI measures of geometric parameters of the midfemur are highly accurate and repeatable, even in osteoporosis. Both MRI and DXA techniques have limited value in determining cortical width. MRI may prove valuable in the assessment of surface-specific bone accrual and resorption responses to disease, therapy, and variations in mechanical loading. [source]

High-Turnover Periprosthetic Bone Remodeling and Immature Bone Formation Around Loose Cemented Total Hip Joints

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001
Michiaki Takagi
Abstract Aseptic loosening and periprosthetic osteolysis are the major problems awaiting solution in total hip surgery. The clinical investigation focused on the analysis of periprosthetic bone remodeling to clarify one important key event in the cascade of periprosthetic connective tissue weakening and osteolysis around loose artificial hip joints. Twelve acetabular bone samples adjacent to granulomatous synovial-like membrane of loose hip prosthesis were retrieved at revision surgery and processed for Villanueva bone staining for morphological observation and bone histomorphometric analysis. Eight well-fixed bony samples were used as control. Although osteoclastic surface and eroded surface by osteoclasts were evident in the periprosthetic bone from loose hip joints (p = 0.003 and p = 0.027), increased osteoid/low-mineralized bone matrix (p < 0.001) and osteoid width (p < 0.001) also were significant findings in structural analysis. In addition, not only elevated mineral apposition rate (MAR; p = 0.044) but also increased mineralizing surface (p = 0.044) and bone formation rate (BFR; p = 0.002) in loose periprosthetic bones were shown in dynamic data analysis. These results were confirmed by precise morphological observation by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Active coupling of bone formation and resorption and increased osteocytes with abundant bone canalicular projections were found in combined with the presence of immature bone matrices (osteoid and low-mineralized bone areas) in periprosthetic bones from loose hip joints. These results indicated that active osteoclastic bone resorption and/or defective bone formation are coupled with monocyte/macrophage-mediated foreign body-type granuloma in the synovial-like interface membrane of loose hip joints. Thus, this unique high-turnover periprosthetic bone remodeling with bad bone quality probably is caused by the result of cellular host response combined with inappropriate cyclic mechanical loading. The fragile periprosthetic bone may contribute to hip prosthesis loosening. [source]