O implante dental depende do osso de suporte para sua estabilidade e ongevidade funcional. O comportamento mecânico e a estrutura trabecular do osso afetam a interface com o implante. Tal conhecimento pode fornecer uma base para melhoramentos na função e desenho dos implantes atuais minimizando a reabsorção da crista óssea e falha na junção osso-implante. Desta forma a correta quantificação das forças que atuam sobre o sistema de implante e principalmente no osso de suporte ao qual ele está inserido é importante para o entendimento da biomecânica possibilitando que intervenções possam ser realizadas pelos profissionais visando assim à longevidade das próteses implanto-suportadas bem como dos implantes que as sustentam. Por essa razão, a proposta deste trabalho foi avaliar, com auxílio de extensômetros elétricos, se o processo laboratorial de confecção de coroas metalocerâmicas resulta em alterações das tensões no osso ao redor dos implantes. Para isto foi utilizado um modelo de poliuretano em forma de U simulando o osso mandibular com dois implantes de hexágono externo de 3,75mm de diâmetro por 13 mm de comprimento, nos quais foram fixados intermediários multi-unit. Os corpos de prova foram confeccionados com dois tipos de ligas odontológicas - Cobalto-Cromo e Paládio-Prata - e três tipos de cilindros protéticos calcinável, usinado de Cobalto-Cromo e usinado de Ouro. As leituras de deformação foram realizadas em dois momentos: 1- após a fundição das infra-estruturas e 2 após estas infra-estruturas terem recebido cobertura cerâmica. Os testes foram realizados parafusando os corpos de prova sobre os intermediários utilizando-se para isto um dispositivo eletrônico de torque com força máxima de 10 Ncm. Os resultados mostraram que, após a aplicação da cobertura cerâmica, ocorreu piora da condição de assentamento aos intermediários. O mesmo não foi detectado quando se avaliou a deformação do osso simulado, já que os valores de deformação não ndicaram diferenças antes e após a aplicação da cerâmica. / The dental implant depends on the supporting bone for its stability and functional longevity. Mechanical behavior and trabecular bone structure affect the interface with the implant. Such knowledge may provide a basis for improvements in the current implant function and design, decreasing bone crest resorption and failure at bone-implant junction. Adequate quantification of forces that act upon the implant system and mainly on the supporting bone is important for understanding the biomechanics, allowing the intervention by professionals with the purpose of achieving the longevity of implant-supported prostheses. Therefore, this work aims at evaluating, with the aid of strain gauges, whether the laboratorial process of metal ceramic crown fabrication results in changes of the tensions around the implants. A U-shaped polyurethane model simulating the mandibular bone with two 3.75-mm diameter and 13-mm length external hexagon implants were used with fixed multi-unit abutments. Specimens were prepared with two types of dental alloys - cobalt-chromium and silver-palladium - and three types of prosthetic cylinder castable plastic, prefabricated in cobalt-chromium or gold. The deformation readings were performed in two moments: 1- after framework casting and 2- after ceramic layering of the framework. The tests were performed with the framework screwed onto the abutments at 10Ncm using an electronic torque device. The results showed that the ceramic layering worsened the fit between the crowns and the abutments. The same was not detected when bone deformation was evaluated since the values were not statistically different.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease associated with fracture risk. Accurate assessments of fracture risk, guidelines to initiate preventive intervention, and monitoring treatment response are of paramount importance in public health. Clinically, osteoporosis is defined by low bone mineral density, which explains 65-75% of the variance in bone stiffness. The remaining variability is due to the cumulative and synergistic effects of various factors, including trabecular bone micro-architecture. Osteoporostic imaging is critically important in identifying fracture risks for planning of therapeutic intervention and monitoring response to treatments. In this work, quantitative analysis of trabecular bone micro-architecture using volumetric imaging techniques and computational biomechanical simulation through finite element modeling (FEM) are applied on in vivo imaging for various human studies. The ability of imaging methods in characterizing trabecular bone micro-architecture was experimentally examined using MRI and multi-row detector CT. They were found suitable for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in monitoring changes of trabecular micro-architectural quality in clinical research. A framework which consists of robust segmentation of in vivo images and quality mesh generator, was constructed for FEM analysis. The framework was experimentally demonstrated effcient and effective to predict bone strength under limited spatial resolution. The ability of distinguishing bone strengths of different groups were evaluated on various human studies. And the relation between FEM and image-based micro-architectural measures was explored. Quantitative analysis supports the hypothesis that trabecular bone have distinct structural properties in different anatomic sites and the osteoporosis related change of the micro-architecture also varies. It highlight the importance of standardizing the definition of bone scan locations and the segmentation of such well-defined regions. A shape modeling method was proposed to solve the problem and its application in human proximal femur using MRI were presented. The method was compared with manual segmentation and found highly accurate. Together with tools developed for quantitative analysis, this work facilitates future researches of trabecular bone micro-architecture in different anatomic sites.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Genetic models have been developed to determine if and how a targeted gene may influence cartilage degenerative changes. The itga1-null mouse model has an inhibited integrin α1B1 through a ubiquitous integrin α1 subunit knockout, which leads to fibrosis in articular cartilage through excessive signalling from transforming growth factor beta (TGFB). Depleting this TGFB signalling is proposed to have a protective effect on cartilage. This project is part of a foregoing study where a cartilage-specific knockout of TGFB receptor type II (TBRII) was used to deplete TGFB signalling in articular cartilage of the itga1-null mice to reduce the severity of cartilage degradation. This project continues the analysis of the genetic model into bone architecture at the knee. Mouse hindlimbs were scanned at a 13μm resolution using micro-computed tomography and segmented into 3D datasets containing calcified tissues and bone of the knee and surroundings. Quantification methods for trabecular bone parameters (bone volume fraction, trabecular separation, and trabecular thickness) and ectopic calcification of soft tissues were developed. Loss of trabecular bone around the involved joint is a hallmark of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. However, the results from this study showed no significant changes in trabecular bone of itga1-null mouse knees despite observing severe osteoarthritic changes in the adjacent cartilage. There were no significant effects in peri-articular trabecular bone when the TBRII knockout in cartilage was activated, but there were significant increases in ectopic calcifications of the menisci and collateral ligaments. These ectopic calcifications were also seen in tamoxifen control mice, suggesting that tamoxifen, along with TBRII depletion in cartilage, had a role in increased abnormal calcifications. Although integrin α1B1 inhibition appears to have an important role in cartilage degeneration, it does not appear to influence the bony changes that normally accompany post-traumatic arthritis. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder, associated mainly with cartilage degradation. Some genes have been identified that cause or prevent osteoarthritis. A previous study used two of these genes in a genetic mouse model to explore how osteoarthritis may develop. Removing the integrin α1 subunit from mice caused osteoarthritic changes in the cartilage of the mouse knee. When the transforming growth factor beta gene was removed from the cartilage, these changes were less severe. This project continued the study by exploring changes in bone around the mouse knee. We quantified bone changes around the mouse knee using high-resolution micro-computed tomography scans. Contrary to common findings in post-traumatic osteoarthritis, we found that there were no significant changes in the bone around the knees even where severe cartilage changes had been identified. However, there were significant increases in calcifications of soft tissues including the meniscus and ligaments around the knee.

The "Knuckle-walking Hominin Hypothesis" postulates that there was a knuckle-walking phase during the transition from quadrupedalism to bipedalism. To address this question, previous research has focused on the search for a "signal" within the wrist, and metacarpals of extant knuckle walkers that can be used to infer this locomotor pattern in extinct hominins. To date, the examined features have not yielded a clear, non-contested signal. I explore the Knuckle-walking Hominin Hypothesis in two ways: 1. by examining the hand postures and the manual pressure application of Pan and Gorilla during knuckle walking to determine whether there are species specific differences and 2. by examining the internal and external morphology of the manual phalanges in an attempt to isolate a clear "knuckle-walking signal". Chimpanzees are more variable in their preferred contact digits, and use both hand positions with equal frequency ("palm-in" - palm facing toward the body and "palm-back" - palm facing posteriorly). In contrast, gorillas consistently make contact with all four digits 2-5, maintain a pronated arm, and use the palm-back hand position. In both taxa, hand position affects which digit acts as the final touch-off element and therefore receives maximum pressure in a given step, and digit 5 receives significantly less pressure than the other rays. Gorillas are, in effect, practicing a refined subset of the variety of knuckle-walking postures used by the more arboreal chimpanzees. A clear knuckle-walking signal is seen in both the external and internal morphology of the phalanges. Chimpanzees and gorillas have the same middle phalangeal curvature profile with the greatest curvature found in digit 5 (5 > 2 > 3 > 4), the element that receives the least amount of pressure. This phalangeal curvature profile is a feature not shared with any of the included taxa practicing different modes of locomotion. They also have similar Indices of Relative Curvature (IRC-middle phalangeal curvature/proximal phalangeal curvature) for digits 2-5 that clearly delineate them with "flatter" middle phalanges and more curved proximal phalanges (IRCs = ~0.85), from quadrupeds with more curved middle than proximal phalanges (IRCs > 1), and suspensory primates with higher and more equal curvature values for both elements (IRCs = ~1). This ability to differentiate between locomotor groups holds if the IRCs are composed of elements from different rays of the same manus and from elements of different individuals. Within the trabecular bone structure, knuckle walkers are differentiated from quadrupeds and suspsensory primates in 3 locations: the metacarpal head, and the proximal ends of the middle and proximal phalanges. In particular, the metacarpal head shows distinct differences between the groups: knuckle walkers have a palmar-dorsal alignment of trabeculae and disc-like shape, suspensory taxa have a proximodistal alignment and rod-like shape and quadrupeds have a proximodistal alignment and disc-like shape. The ability to differentiate between locomotor categories using isolated zones increases the applicability of these signals to a fragmentary and limited fossil record. The morphological similarities, specifically the shared curvature profile, and the similar knuckle-walking kinematics employed by chimpanzees and gorillas point to a shared origin of knuckle walking.

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Yes / We analyzed the trabecular bone changes in the pubic bone (PB) and in the auricular surface (AS) of the ilium using 319 CT scans of cadavers to estimate the age. Although the sharpness of the trabecular structure decreases in CT images when soft tissues are present, we identified four phases for the changes in PB and five in AS; a juvenile trait in PB and a senile trait in AS helped narrow the age range. High correlation with age was identified for both sexes in PB (F 0.89; M 0.75) and in AS (F 0.85; M 0.71) used independently or combined (F 0.91; M 0.78). The old adults (>60 years) could be evaluated with better accuracy and discriminated in several phases. We found low inter-observer error and low inaccuracy (about 6 years, mean for all age ranges). The method is robust with respect to slice thickness, display window and kernel within the tested ranges.

A osteoporose é uma doença que afeta o tecido ósseo sendo caracterizada principalmente pela diminuição da massa óssea e pela deterioração da arquitetura do osso. O método atualmente utilizado no diagnóstico da osteoporose é a densitometria óssea (DEXA -Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry), que utiliza radiação ionizante. Vários estudos têm sido publicados discutindo o uso de técnicas complementares ou alternativas à densitometria óssea. Uma dessas técnicas é a ultrasonometria, que é baseada na análise da propagação do ultra-som para identificar a qualidade do tecido ósseo. O objetivo desse trabalho é contribuir com o acréscimo de dados para a avaliação da possibilidade de uso dessa técnica como alternativa à técnica da densitometria óssea. Foi realizado um estudo de correlação entre medidas experimentais em ossos trabeculares de calcâneos humanos obtidas com o equipamento de ultrasonometria óssea SONOST-2000 (Vicmed/OsteoSys-MedisonÒ) e medidas de ensaio mecânico de compressão. A microscopia eletrônica de varredura foi utilizada como um teste complementar para identificar as modificações na microarquitetura das amostras de ossos humanos sadios e osteopênicos. Os resultados indicam que o BQI (Bone Quality Index – Índice de Qualidade Óssea) pode ser usado como um método indireto de averiguação das importantes propriedades na determinação do risco de fratura, como por exemplo, a tensão máxima suportada pelo material. / Osteoporosis is a disease that affects bone tissue and is characterized by a decrease in its mass and deterioration of its architeture. The current method used in osteoporosis diagnostic is bone densitometry (DEXA- Dual Energy X-ray Absorption), which utilizes ionizing radiation. Various studies have been published discussing alternatives or complimentary techniques to bone densitometry. One of these techniques is quantitative untrasound (QUS), which is based on the analysis of ultrasound spread through bone tissue to assess its quality. The objective of this work is to add more data to the discussion of this technique as an alternative to bone densitometry. Correlation studies between data from experiments in trabecular bones from the calcaneus of human cadavers have been performed using the quantitative ultrasound equipment SONOST-2000 (Vicmed/OsteoSys-Medison) and mechanical compression essays. Scanning Electron Microscopy was also used as an aid to identify modifications in the samples microarchiteture from health and osteopenic tissue. The results indicate that BQI (Bone Quality Index ) can be used as indirect method to obtain important parameters used in the assessment of fracture risk, such as the maximum load supported by the material.

A caracterização de tecido ósseo por ultra-som para o diagnóstico de osteoporose tem sido investigada como uma alternativa a densitometria óssea baseada em radiação ionizante. A interação do ultra-som com o tecido ósseo é fundamentalmente diferente da que ocorre com a energia ionizante. O potencial da técnica ultra-sônica baseia-se nos efeitos sobre a propagação do campo acústico causados pela estrutura, composição e massa do tecido que está sendo investigado. Quatro estudos in-vitro e um estudo clínico estão descritos neste trabalho. O primeiro estudo in-vitro compara a correlação entre medidas ultra-sônicas e de densidade mineral óssea (em g/cm3) em tecido trabecular humano e bovino. A velocidade e atenuação ultra-sônicas em amostras ósseas foram determinadas pela técnica de inserção convencional (modo de transmissão) e a medida de densidade mineral óssea foi realizada por absortometria de um fóton (SPA). O mecanismo de interação do ultra-som com osso trabecular é pouco conhecido. O segundo estudo in-vitro investigou como a presença da medula óssea afeta as medidas de velocidade e atenuação. As correlações entre medidas ultrasônicas e de densidade mineral óssea (em g/cm3) por SPA, com e sem a presença da medula óssea, são também determinadas. A medida ultra-sônica de inserção convencional é comparada a medida de inserção por contato. O terceiro estudo in-vitro investigou em amostras de calcâneo as correlações entre medidas ultra-sônicas e de densidade mineral óssea (em g/cm3 e em g/cm2) por SPA. A determinação da densidade mineral Óssea em g/cm2 (BMD) a partir de medidas ultra-sônicas nas amostras foi pela primeira vez investigada, utilizando-se uma técnica de regressão linear univariável e multivariável e uma técnica multivariável não-linear baseada em redes neurais. Um novo parâmetro, baseado na média da frequência instantânea (MIF) do sinal da amostra e de referência, foi proposto para caracterizar o tecido ósseo devido a sua alta correlação com a atenuação. O efeito das corticais ósseas do calcâneo nas medidas ultra-sônicas é pouco conhecido. O quarto estudo in-vitro determinou a correlação entre medidas ultrasônicas e de densidade mineral óssea (em g/cm3) por SPA, com e sem a presença das corticais ósseas. Finalmente, no estudo clínico foram determinadas as correlações entre medidas ultra-sônicas no calcanhar e de densidade mineral óssea por DEXA (em g/cm2) no cólo femoral. A determinação da densidade óssea a partir de medidas ultra-sônicas no calcanhar foi pela primeira vez investigada, utilizando-se uma técnica de regressão linear univariável e multivariável e uma técnica multivariável não-linear baseada em redes neurais. / Ultrasonic assessment of bone for managing osteoporosis has been investigated as an alternative to radition-based bone densitometry technology. In contrast with the ionizing electromagnetic radiation of such clinical bone densitometric technique, ultrasound is a mechanical wave and thus interacts with bone in a fundamentally distinct manner. Ultrasound is viewed as having great potential for assessing bone since its propagation is affected by the structure, composition, and mass of the bone tissue being interrogated. Four in-vitro and one clinical study are reported in this work. In the first in-vitro study a comparison is reported on the ultrasonic assessment of human trabecular and bovine trabecular bone samples. Both ultrasonic velocity and attenuation were evaluated through a standard transmission insertion technique and correlated with bone mineral density (in g/cm3 ) as determined with single photon absorptiometry (SPA). There is a relatively limited understanding of how ultrasound interacts with cancellous bone. One potentially model leads analytically to the demonstration that ultrasound propagation through bone is dependent on several factors, including the properties of the fluid, which saturates the pores of the cancellous bone tissue. The second in-vitro study was carried out to assess how the presence of marrow affects the velocity and attenuation measurements. The correlation between ultrasonic and densitometric measurements (in g/cm3) by SPA, with and without the bone marrow, are also determined. A second part of this study compared the measurements of ultrasonic attenuation and velocity on bovine cancellous bone samples using a standard insertion technique with those obtained using a contac method. The thrid in-vitro study with the calcis trabecular samples investigated the correlations between ultrasonic measurements and bone mineral density (in g/cm3 e em g/cm2) as measured by SPA. A nonlinear multivariate estimation technique based on neural network was the first time investigated to determine the ability of ultrasonic measurements to estimate bone mineral density in g/cm2 (BMD). A linear univariate and multivariate estimation of BMD was compared with the neural network approach. A new parameter to characterize the trabecular bone is been proposed, which is based on the mean instantaneous frequency (MIF) of the sample and reference signals after transmission through the os calcis. It was founded a high correlation between MIF and the attenuation (BUA). Little is known about the effect of the os calcis cortical shell on ultrasonic measurements. The fourth in-vitro study with os calcis samples determined the correlation between ultrasonic and densitometric measurements (in g/cm3) by SPA with and without the cortical shell. Finally, a nonlinear multivariate estimation technique based on neural network was the first time investigated to determine the ability of clinical ultrasonic measurements in the heel to estimate bone mineral density (BMD) in the femoral neck. A linear univariate and multivariate estimation to predict BMD in patients is also compared with the neural network approach.