Cortical bone tissue - one of the most intriguing materials found in nature - demonstrate some fascinating behaviours that have attracted great attention of many researchers from all over the world. In contrast to engineering materials, bone has its unique characters: it is a material that has both sufficient stiffness and toughness to provide physical support and protection to internal organs and yet adaptively balanced for its weight and functional requirements. Its structure and mechanical properties are of great importance to the physiological functioning of the body. Still, our understanding on the mechanical deformation processes of cortical bone tissue is rather limited. Penetration into a bone tissue is an intrinsic part of many clinical procedures, such as orthopaedic surgery, bone implant and repair operations. The success of bone-cutting surgery depends largely on precision of the operation and the extent of damage it causes to the surrounding tissues. The anisotropic behaviour of cortical bone acts as a distinctive protective mechanism and increases the difficulty during cutting process. A comprehensive understanding of deformation and damage mechanisms during the cutting process is necessary for improving the operational accuracy and postoperative recovery of patients. However, the current literature on experimental results provides limited information about processes in the vicinity of the cutting tool-bone interaction zone; while; numerical models cannot fully describe the material anisotropy and the effect of damage mechanisms of cortical bone tissue. In addition, a conventional finite-element scheme faces numerical challenges due to large deformation and highly localised distortion in the process zone. This PhD project is aimed at bridging the gap in current lack of understanding on cutting-induced deformation and fracture processes in the cortical bone tissue through experimental and numerical approaches. A number of experimental studies were accomplished to characterise the mechanical behaviour of bovine cortical bone tissue and to analyse deformation and damage mechanisms associated with the cutting process II along different bone axes in four anatomic cortices, namely, anterior, posterior, medial and lateral. These experiments included: (1) a Vickers hardness test to provide initial assessments on deformation and damage processes in the cortical bone tissue under a concentrated compressive load; (2) uniaxial tension and compression tests, performed to understand the effect of orientation and local variability of microstructure constituents on the macroscopic material properties of cortical bone; (3) fracture toughness tests, aimed at elucidating the anisotropic character of fracture toughness of cortical bone and its various fracture toughness mechanisms in relation to different orientations; (4) penetration tests, conducted to evaluate and validate mechanisms involved in bone cutting as well as orientation associated anisotropic deformation and damage processes at various different cortex positions. Information obtained in these experimental studies was used to assist the development of advanced finite-element models: (1) the effective homogenised XFEM models developed in conjunction with three-point bending test to represent a macroscopically, anisotropic elasticplastic fracture behaviour of cortical bone tissue; (2) three microstructured XFEM models to further investigate the effect of the randomly distributed microstructural constituents on the local fracture process and the variability of fracture toughness of cortical bone; (3) a novel finite-element modelling approach encompassing both conventional and SPH elements, incorporating anisotropic elastic-plastic material properties and progressive damage criteria to simulate large deformation and damage processes of cortical bone under penetration. The established models can adequately and accurately reflect large deformations and damage processes during the penetration in bone cutting. The results of this study made valuable contributions to our existing understanding of the mechanics of cortical bone tissue and most importantly to the understanding of its mechanical behaviours during the cutting process.

Bones are the principal structural components of a skeleton; they provide the body with unique roles, such as its shape maintenance, protection of internal organs and transmission of muscle forces among body segments. Their structural integrity is vital for the quality of life. Unfortunately, bones can only sustain loads until a certain limit, beyond which it fails. Usually, the reasons for bone fracture are traumatic falls, sports injuries, and engagement in transport or industrial accidents. The stresses imposed on a bone in such activities can be far higher than those produced during normal daily activities and lead to fracture. Understanding deformation and fracture behaviours of bone is necessary for prevention and diagnosis of traumas. Even though, in principle, studying bone's deformation and fracture behaviour is of immense benefit, it is not possible to engage volunteers in in-vivo investigations. Therefore, by developing adequate numerical models to predict and describe its deformation and fracture behaviours, a detailed study of reasons for, and ways to prevent or treat bone fracture could be implemented. Those models cannot be formulated without a set of experimental material data. To date, a full set of bone's material data is not implemented in the material data-base of commercial finiteelement (FE) software. Additionally, no complete set of data for the same bone can be found in the literature. Hence, a set of cortical bone's material data was experimentally measured, and then introduced into the finite-element software. A programme of experiments was conducted to characterise mechanical properties of the cortical bone tissue and to gain a basic understanding of the spatial variability of those properties and their link to the underlying microstructure. So, several types of experiments were performed in order to quantify mechanical properties of the studied bone tissue at macro- and microscales under quasi-static and dynamic loading regimes for different cortex positions called anterior, posterior, medial and lateral. Those experiments included: (1) uniaxial tension and creep tests to obtain its elastic, plastic and viscoelastic properties; (2) nanoindentation tests to characterise its microstructural elastic-plastic properties; (3) Izod tests to investigate its fracture properties under impact bending loading; (4) tensile-impact tests to characterise its impact strength and fracture force when exposed to a longitudinal loading regime. All the experiments were performed for different cortex positions and different directions (along the bone axis and perpendicular to it) when possible. Based on the results of those experiments, a number of finite-element models were developed in order to analyse its deformation and fracture using the extended finiteelement method (X-FEM) at different length scales and under various loading conditions. Those models included: (1) two-dimensional (2D) FE models to simulate its fracture and deformation at microscale level under quasi-static tensile loading. Additionally, the effect of the underlying microstructure on crack propagation paths was investigated; (2) 2D and three-dimensional (3D) FE models to simulate its fracture and deformation at macroscale level for the Izod impact test setup. In addition, the applicability of different constitutive material models was examined; (3) 3D FE models to simulate its fracture and deformation at macroscale level for tensile-impact loading conditions. The developed models provided high-quality results, and most importantly, they adequately reflected the experimental data. The main outcome of this thesis is a comprehensive experimental analysis and numerical simulations of the deformation and fracture of the cortical bone tissue at different length scales in response to quasi-static and dynamic loading. Recommendations on further research developments are also suggested.

Dans le cadre de la prédiction du risque fracturaire associée à diverses pathologies, comme l'ostéoporose, cette étude vise à une meilleure compréhension du comportement mécanique de l'os cortical humain, notamment à l'échelle de la microstructure, et, en particulier, du processus biologique de remodelage osseux. Ce phénomène permet, en effet, le renouvellement continuel de la microstructure au cours du temps et contribue ainsi à une diminution de l'endommagement de l'os et, par conséquent, des risques de fracture. Les facteurs déterminants et les conséquences sur les champs mécaniques locaux au sein de la microstructure sont ici recherchés. Une approche couplée, expérimentale et numérique, est proposée. Huit spécimens de fémurs humains, de sexes féminins, âgés de 74 à 101 ans sont analysés. L'analyse expérimentale est réalisée à différentes échelles. A l'échelle macroscopique, le module de Young et les paramètres à la rupture sont déterminés via des essais de compression et les relations potentielles avec les caractéristiques morphométriques, que sont l'âge, la porosité et la densité minérale, sont évaluées. L'analyse de l'évolution des champs de déformations locaux au cours de ces essais de compression et des essais de nanoindentation permet d'accéder à des échelles plus fines (micro- et nanoscopique) afin d'apprécier l'hétérogénéité de la microstructure. On s'intéresse plus particulièrement à l'endommagement de l'os et à l'étape d'initiation de microfissures ainsi qu'à l'hétérogénéité du module de Young. Macroscopiquement, le paramètre le plus influent semble être la porosité. Microscopiquement, les paramètres mécaniques recueillis, notamment les valeurs de déformations pour lesquelles l'os commence à se fissurer, sont intégrés dans les simulations numériques. Un scénario simplifié du remodelage osseux est alors mis en place au sein des microstructures étudiées expérimentalement et, par ailleurs, supposées endommageables. Une loi d'évolution de l'endommagement est introduite et fait l'objet d'un travail d'homogénéisation temporelle afin de considérer l'endommagement par fatigue. Les facteurs d'activation du remodelage et l'évolution des champs mécaniques au cours du processus sont, en particulier, étudiés. L'interaction du phénomène biologique et du comportement mécanique, à l'échelle de l'ostéon, est ainsi mise en évidence. / The understanding of the cortical bone remodelling process at the microscopic scale is essential in the prediction of the risk of fracture. Indeed, bone remodelling allows the perpetual regeneration of damage or old bone. The determining factors as well as the consequences of the phenomenon on the mechanical parameters of the microstructure are assessed. An experimental and numerical approach is proposed. Eight femurs from old women are analysed. Experiments are achieved at different scales. At the macroscopical scale, the Young modulus and the fracture parameters are estimated through compression testing and their eventual relations with the morphometrical characteristics (age, porosity and mineral density) are checked. Analyses of the local deformation evolution and of nanoindentation tests give access to the micro- and nanoscales and reveal the bone heterogeneity. Bone damage, especially the stage of microcracks initiation and the heterogeneity of the Young modulus as well as the mineral density are assessed. Macroscopically, porosity is determining. Microscopically, the mechanical values ob- tained, particularly the deformation value at the stage of microcracks initiation, are implemented in the numerical simulation. A bone remodelling scenario is carried out in the former experimental microstructures, supposed damageable. A damage evolution law is set and is improved by taking into account the fatigue damage through a time homogenization method. The factors of remodelling activation and the mechanical parameters evolution during the remodelling process are investigated. Eventually, the interaction between the biological phenomenon and the mechanical behaviour, at the osteon scale, is revealed.

Este estudo investiga o Módulo de Young (Módulo de Elasticidade) em amostras de osso cortical oriundas de uma mesma região da tíbia bovina depois de submetidas a congelamentos e descongelamentos sucessivos. As amostras foram coletadas da face caudal do terço médio da diáfise de tíbias bovinas e depois submetidas a testes de flexão em três pontos e ensaios de ruptura, obedecendo à norma ASTMD790M86ε1. Nesse experimento, 20 pares de amostras de ossos corticais foram retirados de 20 tíbias bovinas, cada amostra medindo 2 mm x 4 mm x 40 mm, aproximadamente. Todos os testes foram realizados à temperatura controlada (21 graus Celsius), e as condições de ensaio foram as mesmas durante os testes. As amostras foram identificadas e divididas em dois grupos experimentais: Grupo A: as amostras foram conservadas (em sacos plásticos) a - 20 graus Celsius (submetidos a congelamentos e descongelamentos sucessivos por 50 vezes: uma vez ao dia durante 50 dias). Esses descongelamentos produziram 15 ensaios de flexão, sendo que o primeiro foi realizado com as amostras ainda frescas mantidas em geladeira a 4 graus Celsius. Após os 50 descongelamentos foram levados até a ruptura. Grupo B: as amostras foram conservadas frescas (em sacos plásticos) a 4 graus Celsius em geladeira aguardando o tempo para que os ensaios do grupo A fossem concluídos e, posteriormente fez-se o teste de ruptura. Importantes cuidados foram tomados. Depois de cada descongelamento, as amostras foram analisadas e comparadas com as amostras frescas tanto para os ensaios de flexão em três pontos como para os ensaios de ruptura. Observamos que o congelamento não alterou de modo significativo as propriedades mecânicas destes ossos, pois não foi encontrada nenhuma diferença significativa entre o comportamento dos dois grupos testados. Isso implica que, congelando e estocando mesmo por longos períodos, as propriedades mecânicas não se alteram tanto nos ensaios de flexão em três pontos como nos ensaios de ruptura. Com respeito às diferenças observadas no dia a dia, as alterações do primeiro dia até o último dia não foram significativas / The present study was conducted to investigate the Young Module (Elasticity Module) in cortical bone samples submitted to successive freezing and thawing and then assayed in flexion tests at three points and in rupture tests according to the norms of ASTMD790M86ε1. Twenty pairs of cortical bone samples, each measuring approximately 2 x 4 x 40 mm, were collected from the same region of the caudal surface of the middle third of the diaphysis of 20 bovine tibiae and divided into two experimental groups: Group A: consisting of 20 cortical bone samples stored at – 20 Celsius degrees in plastic bags and submitted to successive freezing and thawing 50 times once a day for 50 days. These thawing episodes produced 15 flexion assays. After the 50 thawing episodes, the samples were tested until rupture. Group B: consisting of 20 cortical bone samples stored at 4 Celsius degrees in plastic bags in a refrigerator until the time when the assays of group A were concluded and then submitted to the rupture test. No statistically significant variation in the Young Module was observed after the flexion test at three points performed for Group A. The values of rupture tension also did not differ significantly between groups A and B. We observed that freezing did not cause a significant change in the mechanical properties of these bones, indicating that freezing and storage of these bones even for long periods of time does not alter their mechanical properties in flexion tests at three points or in rupture assays

A osteoporose é um enfraquecimento progressivo dos ossos, que ficam cada vez mais sujeitos a fraturas. Embora possa acometer ambos os sexos, ela é mais freqüente nas mulheres após a menopausa devido à diminuição dos hormônios femininos, os estrógenos. É uma doença que avança lentamente, sem sintomas, geralmente sem ser percebida até que aconteça uma fratura. Uma vez instalada a osteoporose, tem que se evitar maior perda óssea para prevenir fraturas. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar o quadro de instalação de osteopenia em ossos corticais de ratas ovariectomizadas. Foi utilizado um modelo de osteopenia em 29 ratas Wistar ovarectomizadas com massa corpórea de 250 gramas. Os animais foram divididos em 6 grupos experimentais e eutanaziados em períodos diferentes: o primeiro grupo foi eutanaziado 30 dias após a cirurgia, que corresponde ao tempo de início da osteopenia, e a partir daí, os demais grupos foram eutanaziados numa seqüência de 15 dias até o 105º dia. A avaliação do quadro de instalação foi realizada através de medidas antropométricas e de propriedades mecânicas dos fêmures (ensaio de flexão de três pontos). Cada um dos itens obtidos foram comparados utilizando-se o programa GraphPad InStat 3. O teste t-Student foi aplicado para checar a variação do peso corporal com p < 0,05. Aplicaram-se os testes ANOVA e Student-Newmam-Keuls com coeficiente de variação também menor que 5% para os demais itens analisados. Observou-se um aumento significativo no comprimento dos fêmures durante o primeiro mês de experimento, assim como na carga máxima aplicada. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo sugerem que a ovariectomia é um fator que não causa grandes alterações mecânicas e geométricas na região cortical dos fêmures de ratas no período analisado / Osteoporosis is a progressive weakness of bones, which are more and more subjects to fractures. Although it happens to men and women, it is more frequent in postmenopausal women due to a decrease of female hormones. It is a disease without symptoms and it is usually noticed only after a fracture. Once the osteoporosis is installed, a bigger bone loss must be avoided in order to prevent a fracture. This study aims to analyze the osteopenia installation process in cortical bones of ovariectomized rats. An osteopenia model was used in 29 ovariectomized Wistar female rats with body weight of 250 g. Animals were divided in 6 experimental groups, the first group was sacrificed 30 days after the surgery and, the other groups, every 15 days on until the 105th day. The evaluation of installation process was made through anthropometrics and mechanical proprieties of femur (three-point bending test). Program GraphPad InStat 3 was used in order to compare the observed items. T-student test was used to check the body weight variation with p < 0,05 and tests ANOVA and Student-Newmam-Keuls were applied to the other items (p < 0,05). A significant increase in femur length and in maximum bending load were obtained. The found results in this research suggest that ovariectomy is a factor that does not cause significant mechanical and geometric alterations on cortical region of femurs in female rats during the analyzed period

On utilise en IRM clinique T2, T1 et la densité de protons comme biomarqueurs de diagnostic et de suivi. Cependant, seuls les tissus à T2 long sont visibles par IRM classique. La séquence UTE (Ultra-short TE) a été récemment développée pour des études quantitatives de l’os cortical. Nous avons dans une première étape confronté des mesures de porosité de l’os cortical par IRM-UTE et par microtomographie par rayonnement synchrotron, car la porosité est un paramètre déterminant de la qualité osseuse. L’étude a été menée sur 38 échantillons de diaphyses fémorales humaines en collaboration avec une équipe du B2OA (UMR7052). La porosité par IRM-UTE à 4.7 T (TE = 51 µs) est entre 18 et 43% (moyenne 30%). La porosité par microtomographie (résolution spatiale : 6.5 µm) est entre 3 et 27% (moyenne 14%). Aucune corrélation n’a pu être observée entre les deux mesures. Une importante dispersion a été observée sur les valeurs de T1 entre les échantillons, que nous proposons d’attribuer à des effets de transfert d’aimantation (MT) entre les protons de l’eau liée au collagène et les protons des terminaisons méthylène du collagène. Pour confirmer cette interprétation, nous avons dans une seconde étape confronté plusieurs méthodes d’évaluation de la relaxation longitudinale dans des échantillons d’os bovin. Les mesures réalisées par différentes séquences (inversion-récupération, saturation hors-résonance, saturation par répétition de binomiales et angle de bascule variable) confirment des effets de MT importants. Les méthodes les plus robustes pour évaluer les paramètres sont la saturation hors-résonance et par répétition de binomiales, ce qui suggère leur utilisation pour de futures applications in vivo. / Longitudinal and transverse relaxations are quantitative tools used in MRI for diagnosis and follow up. However only tissues with long T2 can be detected with MRI. Quantitative evaluation of cortical bone porosity is now feasible with UTE.In this work, porosity measurements from UTE in human cortical bone samples were compared with those from micro-computed tomography (µCT). 38 human cortical bone samples (upper diaphysis) were examined in collaboration with a team from B2OA (UMR7052). Porosity from UTE (TE = 51 µs) was between 18% and 43% (mean 30%) and from µCT (spatial resolution = 6.5 µm) between 3% and 27% (mean 14%). No correlation could be established between the two measurements. T1 values from few samples were dispersed; a possible explanation could be the magnetization transfer (MT) between collagen-bound water protons and collagen methylene protons.For a quantitative interpretation of this phenomenon, 11 bovine cortical bone samples were examined. Several sequences (inversion-recovery, off-resonance saturation, repeated binomial excitations, variable flip angle) were implemented at 4.7 T to assess MT parameters. The aim was to compare which method may provide accurate parameter estimation. Off-resonance saturation and repeated binomial excitation seem to be more suitable for in vivo MT quantification.

La recherche en biomécanique des chocs est une nécessité pour améliorer la sécurité dans les transports. Pour une meilleure évaluation des critères lésionnels lors des simulations de crash, le manque de représentativité des modèles EF du thorax humain pourrait être comblé par une démarche de personnalisation aussi bien au niveau géométrique que mécanique. Cette thèse se base sur l’étude de 18 sujets humains post-mortem. A partir des données d’imagerie, les différentes dimensions des côtes sont analysées. La corrélation de ces paramètres aboutit à la prédiction de 192 dimensions à partir d’un unique paramètre d’entrée. A une échelle inférieure, un protocole innovant a permis de coupler des informations microstructurales issues d’un μCT avec la forme extérieure des côtes. 2 hémi-thorax ont été micro-scannés afin de générer une cartographie complète des épaisseurs d’os cortical. Une stratégie a été mise en place pour proposer un algorithme prédisant l’intégralité de cette géométrie locale d’après un seul tronçon de côte. La pertinence de cette personnalisation a été évaluée par une étude de sensibilité sur des modèles EF. Les résultats d’essais de traction sur os cortical montrent un comportement différent entre les éprouvettes prélevées sur la table interne ou externe des côtes. Une caractérisation précise de la structure interne de l’os cortical, couplé à des essais de micro-traction in-situ, a pu apporter des éléments de réponse sur cette différence. Unalgorithme de personnalisation a été aussi proposé pour les propriétés mécaniques, complétant ainsi la démarche d’adapter les modèles EF du thorax à chaque individu afin d’améliorer leur biofidélité. / For a better assessment of injury criteria on the human thorax, realistic numerical simulations need accurate geometrical characterization and an understanding of the mechanical behavior of the rib. Thelack of representation of the FE models of the human thorax could be filled by a personalization of these two aspects. This thesis is based on the study of 18 post-mortem human subjects. From medical data (CT-scans), the different dimensions of the ribs were analyzed. The correlation of the measurements led to the prediction of 192 dimensions from a single input parameter. At a lower scale, an innovative protocol enabled us to combine microstructural information obtained from a μCT with the external shape of the ribs. 2 hemi-thoraxes were scanned to generate a complete map of the thickness of cortical bone and cross-section area evolution. A strategy was implemented to provide an algorithm, predicting this entire local geometry from a single rib’s sample. The relevance of this customization was evaluated by a sensitivity analysis on FE models. The results of tensile tests on cortical bone showed different behaviors between the samples harvested from the inner or outer side of the rib. A precise characterization of the internal structure of the cortical bone, coupled with in-situ micro-tensile device, revealed certain answers about this difference. An algorithm is also proposed topersonalize the mechanical properties, completing the approach of adapting the FE models of the thorax of each individual to improve their biofidelity.

December 2011. A thesis submitted to the College of Dental Medicine of Nova Southeastern University of the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry. Background: Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) provide a versatile means by which orthodontic anchorage can be established without the need for patient compliance and complex force systems. Their use is predicated on their ability to remain stable throughout the course of treatment in which they are needed. This has been shown to be the result of "primary stability" which is achieved through mechanical interlocking of the screw threads with the surrounding bone immediately upon placement. Therefore, evaluating the factors that can either enhance or detract from the primary stability of TADs can serve to improve the predictability of their success. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe how variations in synthetic cortical bone thickness and the angle of force applied in relation to the long axis of TADs affects their stability in terms of pull-out strength, and to ascertain the perspectives of practicing orthodontists in the state of Florida on their experiences with temporary anchorage devices with regards to success and failure. Methods: For the bench top study, 90 1.5x8mm long neck Orthotechnology Spider Screws were randomly allocated to 9 groups of 10 TADs each. The 9 groups were established based on both the thickness of synthetic cortical bone (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0mm) and the angle of force vector applied relative to the long axis of the TADs (45, 90, and 1800). Pull-out testing was carried out by applying a force to the TADs via a universal testing machine (Instron, Canton, MA) at a rate of 2.0mm/minute. Real-time graphical and digital readings were recorded, with the forces being recorded in Newtons (N). Each miniscrew was subjected to the pull force until peak force values were obtained. For the 450 and 1800 tests, the force registered at the time-point of pull-out, or screw head movement of 1.5mm within the synthetic bone blocks. The determination of 1.5mm of movement was made due the dramatically erratic deflection observed by the digital and graphical readouts at precisely this point. For the survey portion of this study, A customized survey was developed for this study. The survey was composed of 12 questions, some of which were obtained from a questionnaire that was created by Buschang et al.54 The additional questions were devised by the members of this research project, with the aim of answering questions regarding the clinical experiences that practicing orthodontists experienced with TADs. Results: For the bench top study: Implants placed in 2.0mm of synthetic cortical bone and pulled at an angle of 1800 had the highest pull-out strength among all groups (258.38N), while those placed in 1.0mm of synthetic cortical bone and pulled at an angle of 900 exhibited the lowest (67.11N). When evaluated separately, a cortical bone thickness of 2.0 mm displayed the highest pull-out forces for the three angles of force application, and 1800 angle of force displayed the highest-pull-out forces for the three cortical bone thicknesses. Conversely, 1.0mm of cortical bone thickness displayed the lowest pull-out forces for the three angles of force application, and 900 angle of force displayed the highest-pull-out forces for the three cortical bone thicknesses. For the survey: The most important factor associated with TAD failure was cited as placement location by 45.7% (n=16) of respondents, while root proximity was cited as the least important factor by 35.3% (n=12) of respondents. For the site from which practitioners indicated that they experience the greatest success, 81.8% cited the palate, while 51.9% responded that they experience the highest failure rates for the posterior maxilla (distal to the cuspids). Conclusions: A synthetic cortical bone thickness of 2mm and pull forces applied parallel to the long axis of TADs resulted in the greatest resistance to pull-out.

Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) techniques with the advantages of an axial transmission measurement were applied to implement an ultrasonic system for cortical bone evaluation. This evaluation is focused on the measurement and characterization of shear waves propagating in the axial direction of the cortical layer of bone. Signals were analyzed in time and frequency domains. And, in order to understand the wave propagation phenomenon, and predict experimental results, simulations using the elastic Finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method were implemented considering isotropic and anisotropic bone models. Additionally, shear wave velocities using the axial method were verified by a simple thought transmission measurement. / 博士(工学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

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