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The goal of this study was to examine the microarchitecture of the trabecular bone of the canine femoral head using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) technology. Specifically, we assessed changes seen in the femoral head in dogs with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and compared this with changes seen in dogs with hip dysplasia and coxofemoral luxation. Femoral heads from healthy animals were examined as a control. In total, 38 femoral heads were studied. Rules for defining spherical volumes (region of interest) for determination of the structural parameters within the trabecular structure were established using micro-CT images. The following parameters were determined directly in three dimensions: bone volume fraction, surface volume fraction, trabecula thickness, trabecular count, trabecular spacing, and connectivity. Characteristic femoral head changes were found for each condition. An unexpected result was found that contradicts the prevailing understanding of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. Instead of observing a thickening of the bone trabeculae caused by layering of new bone matrix on top of necrotic trabeculae, we observed an increase in trabecular count and a smaller trabecular thickness. From this it may be concluded that trabecular regeneration is more prominent or prevails over the characteristically described layering processes in the revascularization and repair processes occurring in this illness.

The in vivo corrosion of magnesium alloys might provide a new mechanism which would allow degradable metal implants to be applied in musculo-skeletal surgery. This would particularly be true if magnesium alloys with controlled in vivo corrosion rates could be developed. Since the magnesium corrosion process depends on its corrosive environment, the corrosion rates of magnesium alloys under standard in vitro environmental conditions were compared to corrosion rates in an in vivo animal model. Two gravity-cast magnesium alloys (AZ91D, LAE442) were used in these investigations. Standardized immersion and electrochemical tests according to ASTM norms were performed. The in vivo corrosion tests were carried out by intramedullar implantation of sample rods of the magnesium alloys in guinea pig femura. The reduction in implant volume was determined by synchrotron-radiation-based microtomography. We found that in vivo corrosion was about four orders of magnitude lower than in vitro corrosion of the tested alloys. Furthermore, the tendency of the corrosion rates obtained from in vitro corrosion tests were in the opposite direction as those obtained from the in vivo study. The results of this study suggest, that the conclusions drawn from current ASTM standard in vitro corrosion tests cannot be used to predict in vivo corrosion rates of magnesium alloys.

The deformation characteristics of the metal matrix composites Ag/Ni and Al/Al2O3 are studied at microstructural level by a scanning electron microscopebased grating method and finite element (FE) simulation. The measured strain was found to localize in narrow bands in the ductile matrix of both composites. In the case of the Al/Al2O3 composite, the bands are preferentially initiated in Al regions adjacent to the interface of large Al2O3 particles, leading to local strain maxima. The band positions found in the Ag/Ni composite are also affected by the less deformable Ni phase, but strain localization first occurs by sliding of single Ag grains sometimes located away from the Ni phase. Using a FE model of real phase geometry and measured border displacements as boundary conditions, the simulation agrees reasonably with the experiment. The differences in the case of the Al/Al2O3 composite are due to particle cracks and voids at the particle/matrix interface. This effect was found in the experiment but not considered in modelling. For the Ag/Ni composite the band positions agree fairly well. However, the level and gradient of strain is clearly different as the crystallographic orientation of the Ag grains was not accounted for in modelling.