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Mapping cortical bone stiffness and mineralization from endosteal to periosteal surfaces of bovine mid-diaphyseal femur

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Abstract

Introduction

While bone literature abounds with correlations of mechanical stiffness to mineralization, such correlations are reported without relating the findings to specific intracortical locations. This study reports on mapping of stiffness and mineralization distributions in ring-shaped cortical bone samples sliced from mid-diaphyseal bovine femur. Stiffness and mineralization measurements were conducted at points across the intracortical thickness along radial lines emanating from the inner (endosteal) surface to the outer (periosteal) surface. Measurements were taken along approximately 4 mm distance of cortical bone thickness.

Materials and methods

Three experimental techniques were employed: Vickers microhardness (HV), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and computed tomography (CT). Stiffness values were extracted from the Vickers microhardness tests. Elemental mineralization values (calcium %wt. and phosphorus %wt.) were determined from EDX data. All measurements were repeated on three different femur bones taken from different bovines (collected fresh from butcher).

Results

The study plots stiffness values and elemental mineralization (calcium %wt. and phosphorus %wt.) versus cortical thickness. Both stiffness and Ca %wt. and P %wt. are found to track and to linearly increase when plotted along the radial distance. The stiffness and mineralization trends collected from Vickers and EDX measurements were verified by employing the CT number (Hounsfield units, HU) via CT scans of the same bone samples. Data fitting via statistical methods revealed that all correlations were statistically significant.

Conclusion

Starting from endosteal to periosteal surfaces of mid-diaphyseal bovine femur, it was found that stiffness, mineralization, and HU values all exhibit increasing and correlating trends.

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Acknowledgements

This work was made possible by the financial support of the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) Award Number 103087. The authors also acknowledge the support of the University Research Boards (URB) of the American University of Beirut and the Notre Dame University-Louazie for their financial aid of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Notre Dame University-Louaize, Zouk Mikael, P.O. Box: 72, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

    I. S. Hage

  2. Department of Mathematics, Notre Dame University-Louaize, Zouk Mikael, P.O. Box: 72, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

    R. S. Hage

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, American University of Beirut, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon

    R. A. Yassine, C. Y. Seif & R. F. Hamade

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  1. I. S. Hage
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  2. R. S. Hage
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  5. R. F. Hamade
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Contributions

ISH, RSH, RAY and CYS contributed to research studies, analysis and writing. RFH supervised the work and contributed to reviewing and editing the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. F. Hamade.

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Hage, I.S., Hage, R.S., Yassine, R.A. et al. Mapping cortical bone stiffness and mineralization from endosteal to periosteal surfaces of bovine mid-diaphyseal femur. J Bone Miner Metab 39, 725–736 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-021-01217-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-021-01217-2

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