Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Correlation between Hydroxyapatite Crystallite Orientation and Ultrasonic Wave Velocities in Bovine Cortical Bone

  • Published:
Calcified Tissue International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The mineral component of bone is mainly composed of calcium phosphate, constituting 70% of total bone mass almost entirely in the form of hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystals. HAp crystals have a hexagonal system and uniaxial elastic anisotropy. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of HAp crystallite preference on macroscopic elasticity. Ultrasonic longitudinal wave velocity and the orientation of HAp crystallites in bovine cortical bone are discussed, considering microstructure, density, and bone mineral density (BMD). Eighty cube samples of cortical bone were made from two bovine femurs. The orientation of HAp crystallites was evaluated by integrated intensity ratio of (0002) peak using an X-ray diffractometer. Ultrasonic longitudinal wave velocity was investigated with a conventional pulse system. The intensity ratio of HAp crystallites and velocity were measured in three orthogonal directions; most HAp crystallites aligned in the axial direction of the femurs. Our results demonstrate a linear correlation between velocity and intensity ratio in the axial direction. Significant correlation between velocity and BMD values was observed; however, the correlation disappeared if we focused on the identical type of microstructure. In conclusion, differences in microstructure type have an impact on density and BMD, which clearly affects the velocity. In addition, at the nanoscopic level, HAp crystallites aligned in the axial direction also affected the velocity and anisotropy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Langton CM, Palmar SB, Porter RW (1984) The measurement of broadband ultrasonic attenuation in cancellous bone. Eng Med 13:89–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Laugier P, Berger G, Giat P, Bonnin-Fayet P, Lavat-Jeantet M (1994) Ultrasound attenuation imaging in the os calcis: an improved method. Ultrason Imaging 16:65–76

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hans D, Dargent-Molina P, Schott AD, Sebert JL, Cormier C, Kotzki PO, Delmas PD, Pouilles JM, Breart G, Meunier PJ (1996) Ultrasonographic heel measurements to predict hip fracture in elderly women: the EPIDOS prospective study. Lancet 348:511–514

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sakata S, Kushida K, Yamazaki K, Inoue T (1997) Ultrasound bone densitometry of os calcis in elderly Japanese women with hip fracture. Calcif Tissue Int 60:2–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Reilly DT, Burstein AH (1975) The elastic and ultimate properties of compact bone tissue. J Biomech 8:393–405

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Currey JD (1988) The effect of porosity and mineral content on the Young’s modulus of elasticity of compact bone. J Biomech 21:131–139

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ziv V, Wagner HD, Weiner S (1996) Microstructure–microhardness relations in parallel-fibered and lamellar bone. Bone 18:417–428

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Rho JY, Tsui TY, Pharr GM (1997) Elastic properties of human cortical and trabecular lamellar bone measured by nano-indentation. Biomaterials 18:1325–1330

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Zysset PK, Guo XE, Hoffler CE, Moore KE, Goldstein SA (1999) Elastic modulus and hardness of cortical and trabecular bone lamellae measured by nanoindentation in the human femur. J Biomech 32:1005–1012

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bonfield W, Grynpas MD (1977) Anisotropy of the Young’s modulus of bone. Nature 270:453–454

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lakes R, Yoon HS, Katz JL (1986) Ultrasonic wave propagation and attenuation in wet bone. J Biomed Eng 8:143–148

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bensamoun S, Gherbezza JM, De Belleval JF, Ho Ba Cho MC (2004) Transmission scanning acoustic imaging of human cortical bone and relation with the microstructure. Clin Biomech 19:639–647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bensamoun S, Ho Ba Cho MC, Luu S, Gherbezza JM, de Belleval JF (2004) Spatial distribution of acoustic and elastic properties of human femoral cortical bone. J Biomech 37:503–510

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Yamato Y, Kataoka H, Matsukawa M, Yamazaki K, Otani T, Nagano A (2005) Distribution of longitudinal wave velocities in bovine cortical bone in vitro. Jpn J Appl Phys 44:4622–4624

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Yamato Y, Matsukawa M, Otani T, Yamazaki K, Nagano A (2006) Distribution of longitudinal wave properties in bovine cortical bone in vitro. Ultrasonics 44:e233–e237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Susan FL, Katz JL (1984) The relationship between elastic properties and microstructure of bovine cortical bone. J Biomech 17:241–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Martin RB, Burr DB (1980) Skeletal tissue mechanics. Springler-Verlag, New York

    Google Scholar 

  18. Katz JL, Ukraincik K (1971) On the anisotropic elastic properties of hydroxyapatite. J Biomech 4:221–227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gardner TN, Elliott JC, Sklar Z, Briggs GAD (1992) Acoustic microscope study of the elastic properties of fluorapatite and hydroxyapatite, tooth enamel and bone. J Biomech 25:1265–1277

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Nightingale JP, Lewis D (1971) Pole figures of the orientation of apatites in bones. Nature 232:334–335

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Chen HL, Gundjian AA (1974) Determination of the bone-crystallites distribution function by X ray diffraction. Med Biol Eng 14:531–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Sasaki N, Sudoh Y (1997) X-ray pole figure analysis of apatite crystals and collagen molecules in bone. Calcif Tissue Int 60:361–367

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Nakano T, Kaibara K, Tabata Y, Nagata N, Enomoto S, Marukawa E, Umakoshi Y (2002) Unique alignment and texture of biological apatite crystallites in typical calcified tissues analyzed by microbeam X-ray diffractiometer system. Bone 31:479–487

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Fratzl P, Groschner M, Vogl G, Plenk H, Eschberger J, Fratzl-Zelman N, Koller K, Klaushofer K (1992) Mineral crystals in calcified tissues: a comparative study by SAXS. J Bone Miner Res 7:329–334

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Rinnerthaler S, Roschger P, Jakobs HF, Klausshofer K, Frantzl P (1999) Scanning small angle X-ray scattering analysis of human bone sections. Calcif Tissue Int 64:422–429

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Jäger I, Fratzl P (2000) Mineralized collagen fibrils: a mechanical model with a staggered arrangement of mineral particles. Biophys J 79:1737–1746

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Fratzl P, Gupta HS, Paschalis EP, Roschger P (2004) Structure and mechanical quality of the collagen–mineral nano-composite in bone. J Mater Chem 14:2115–2123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Gupta HS, Wagermaier W, Zickler GA, Aroush DR, Funari SS, Roschger P, Wagner HD, Fratzl P (2005) Nanoscale deformation mechanisms in bone. Nano Lett 5:2108–2111

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Wagermaier W, Gupta HS, Gourrier A, Burghammer M, Roschger P, Fratzl P (2006) Spiral twisting of fiber orientation inside bone lamellae. Biointerphases 1:1–5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Sasso M, Haïat G, Yamato Y, Naili S, Matsukawa M (2007) Frequency dependence of ultrasonic attenuation in bovine cortical bone: an in vitro study. Ultrasound Med Biol 33:1933–1942

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was partly supported by the Academic Frontier Research Project of the “New Frontier of Biomedical Engineering Research” by Doshisha University and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (Japan) and a bilateral joint project between the The Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Japan Society for Promotion of Science supported by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science. We also thank Gregory O’Dowd of the English Department of Hamamatsu University School of Medicine for his assistance in proofreading the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan

    Yu Yamato, Kaoru Yamazaki & Akira Nagano

  2. Faculty of Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0321, Japan

    Mami Matsukawa, Takahiko Yanagitani & Hirofumi Mizukawa

Authors
  1. Yu Yamato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mami Matsukawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Takahiko Yanagitani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kaoru Yamazaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hirofumi Mizukawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Akira Nagano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu Yamato.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yamato, Y., Matsukawa, M., Yanagitani, T. et al. Correlation between Hydroxyapatite Crystallite Orientation and Ultrasonic Wave Velocities in Bovine Cortical Bone. Calcif Tissue Int 82, 162–169 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-008-9103-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-008-9103-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation