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Micro-CT Imaging and Mechanical Properties of Ovine Ribs

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Abstract

The use of ovine animal models in the study of injury biomechanics and modeling is increasing, due to their favorable size and other physiological characteristics. Along with this increase, there has also been increased interest in the development of in silico ovine models for computational studies to compliment physical experiments. However, there remains a gap in the literature characterizing the morphological and mechanical characteristics of ovine ribs. The objective of this study therefore is to report anatomical and mechanical properties of the ovine ribs using microtomography (micro-CT) and two types of mechanical testing (quasi-static bending and dynamic tension). Using microtomography, young ovine rib samples obtained from a local abattoir were cut into approximately fourteen 38 mm sections and scanned. From these scans, the cortical bone thickness and cross-sectional area were measured, and the moment of inertia was calculated to enhance the mechanical testing data. Based on a standard least squares statistical model, the cortical bone thickness varied depending on the region of the cross-section and the position along the length of the rib (p < 0.05), whereas the cross-sectional area remained consistent (p > 0.05). Quasi-static three-point bend testing was completed on ovine rib samples, and the resulting force–displacement data was analyzed to obtain the stiffness (44.67 ± 17.65 N/mm), maximum load (170.54 ± 48.28 N) and displacement at maximum load (7.19 ± 2.75 mm), yield load (167.81 ± 48.12 N) and displacement at yield (6.10 ± 2.25 mm), and the failure load (110.90 ± 39.30 N) and displacement at failure (18.43 ± 2.10 mm). The resulting properties were not significantly affected by the rib (p > 0.05), but by the animal they originated from (p < 0.05). For the dynamic testing, samples were cut into coupons and tested in tension with an average strain rate of 18.9 strain/sec. The resulting dynamic testing properties of elastic modulus (5.16 ± 2.03 GPa), failure stress (63.29 ± 14.02 MPa), and failure strain (0.0201 ± 0.0052) did not vary based on loading rate (p > 0.05).

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Veryst Engineering, LLC for running the high-rate tests and the DEVCOM Army Research Lab for funding this project (#W911NF2120034).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA

    Patricia K. Thomas, Juliette Caffrey, Kyle Ondar, Philip Brown & F. Scott Gayzik

  2. Musculoskeletal Research Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, USA

    K. Eddie Afetse & Nahir A. Habet

  3. Army Research Directorate, DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, USA

    Caitlin M. Weaver & Michael Kleinberger

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  1. Patricia K. Thomas
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Correspondence to F. Scott Gayzik.

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Appendix

Appendix

Moment of inertia table.

CT Scan

Recon

Long, outer (a)

Short, outer (b)

Long, inner (c)

Short, INNER (d)

MOI (mm4)

Rib 3 Scan 4

2

6.14

1.76

5.71

0.82

200.1

Rib 4 Scan 7

2

5.82

1.84

5.51

1.28

116.72

Rib 5 Scan 10

2

4.82

1.82

4.48

1.07

84.5

Rib 6 Scan 13

2

5.27

1.87

4.87

1.07

117.9

Median

     

117.31

Standard Deviation

     

49.35206

Mean

     

129.805

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Thomas, P.K., Caffrey, J., Afetse, K.E. et al. Micro-CT Imaging and Mechanical Properties of Ovine Ribs. Ann Biomed Eng 51, 1513–1522 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-023-03156-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-023-03156-7

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