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Characterization of nano-structural and nano-mechanical properties of osteoarthritic subchondral bone.
- Source :
-
BMC musculoskeletal disorders [BMC Musculoskelet Disord] 2016 Aug 24; Vol. 17 (1), pp. 367. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Aug 24. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Background: Although articular cartilage is the primary tissues affected by osteoarthritis (OA), the underlying subchondral bone also undergoes noticeable changes. Despite the growing body of research into the biophysical and mechanical properties of OA bone there are few studies that have analysed the structure of the subchondral sclerosis at the nanoscale. In this study, the composition and nano-structural changes of human osteoarthritis (OA) subchondral bone were investigated to better understand the site-specific changes.<br />Methods: OA bone samples were collected from patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery and graded according to disease severity (grade I: mild OA; grade IV: severe OA). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Electron Diffraction, and Elemental Analysis techniques were used to explore the cross-banding pattern, nature of mineral phase and orientation of the crystal lattice. Subchondral bone nano-hydroxyapatite powders were prepared and characterised using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Subchondal bone mechanical properties were investigated using a nano-indentation method.<br />Results: In grade I subchondral bone samples, a regular periodic fibril banding pattern was observed and the c-axis orientation of the apatite crystals was parallel to the long axis of the fibrils. By contrast, in grade IV OA bone samples, the bulk of fibrils formed a random and undulated arrangement accompanied by a circular oriented pattern of apatite crystals. Fibrils in grade IV bone showed non-hierarchical intra-fibrillar mineralization and higher calcium (Ca) to phosphorous (P) (Ca/P) ratios. Grade IV OA bone showed higher crystallinity of the mineral content, increased modulus and hardness compared with grade I OA bone.<br />Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that OA subchondral sclerotic bone has an altered mineralization process which results in nano-structural changes of apatite crystals that is likely to account for the compromised mechanical properties of OA subchondral bones.
- Subjects :
- Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee
Bone Density
Calcium analysis
Cartilage, Articular pathology
Durapatite analysis
Female
Humans
Knee Joint diagnostic imaging
Male
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Middle Aged
Osteoarthritis, Knee diagnostic imaging
Osteoarthritis, Knee surgery
Phosphorus analysis
Radiography
Severity of Illness Index
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Tibia chemistry
Tibia diagnostic imaging
Knee Joint pathology
Osteoarthritis, Knee pathology
Osteosclerosis pathology
Tibia pathology
Tibia ultrastructure
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1471-2474
- Volume :
- 17
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- BMC musculoskeletal disorders
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 27558702
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-1226-1