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Arterial elastic properties in man: a comparison of echo-Doppler indices of aortic stiffness.

Non-invasive assessment of mechanical properties of the aorta may prove useful in the early detection of atheroma. We have evaluated several of the available echocardiographic indices using ability to detect age-related changes in putatively disease-free vessels as a measure of sensitivity to changes in aortic mechanical properties. Suprasternal imaging was used in 49 healthy non-smoking volunteers to measure minimum and maximum aortic arch diameters. Maximal flow velocities, with corresponding acceleration times and heart periods, were determined in the descending aorta in 24 of these subjects. Blood pressure was recorded non-invasively immediately after the echocardiographic study. Doppler derived measurements of aortic flow acceleration did not relate to age (P greater than 0.05). Three different 2D echo assessments of aortic distensibility, however, all showed a close relationship to age. Ep elastic modulus and Beta index (derived from different stress-strain mechanical relationships) were significantly related to age with r = 0.69 and 0.65 respectively. There were no significant effects of gender or left ventricular systolic function on these relationships. There was a tendency for the relationship between these distensibility indices and age more closely to fit an exponential than a linear relationship. We conclude that 2D echocardiographic assessment of aortic distensibility is able to detect sensitively changes in aortic mechanical properties. Even in the absence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease there is a marked reduction in aortic distensibility with increasing age.

Adult↗

The aging process modifies the distensibility of elastic but not muscular arteries.

Aging decreases the distensibility of large elastic arteries; however, the effects of age on the functional parameters of muscular, medium-sized arteries are not well determined. This study evaluated the consequences of aging on the functional parameters of the carotid and radial arteries in normotensive men. A total of 62 elderly subjects (aged 74+/-2 years) were compared with 87 young subjects (aged 35+/-3 years). Internal diameter and intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured by a high-resolution echo-tracking system to calculate distensibility and incremental elastic modulus (Einc). Although in the normal range, systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were statistically different in the 2 groups at 128+/-19 and 74+/-13 mm Hg versus 121+/-27 and 71+/-18 mm Hg in the young and elderly subjects, respectively (P<0.05). At the carotid artery level, elderly subjects exhibited a greater IMT (742+/-144 versus 469+/-132 microm; P<0.01) and internal diameter (7067+/-828 versus 6062+/-1026 microm; P<0.01) than young subjects; elderly subjects also had lower distensibility (12+/-2 versus 21+/-2 kPa(-1) x 10(-3); P<0.01) and higher Einc (0.9+/-0.2 versus 0.7+/-0.3 kPa x 10(3); P<0.01). At the radial artery level, both IMT (240+/-42 versus 218+/-51 microm; P<0.01) and internal diameter (2685+/-432 versus 2491+/-444 microm; P<0.01) were greater in elderly subjects, but no differences in distensibility and Einc were observed between the 2 groups. All differences remained significant, even after adjusting for mean blood pressure. These results indicate that the increase of the internal diameter and IMT observed during the aging process can have opposite effects on the functional parameters of large elastic or medium-sized muscular arteries.

Adult↗

[Visco-elastic properties of common carotid artery in treated hypertension].

It is now possible to measure clinically by a non-invasive method systolo-diastolic variations of the internal diameter of large arteries over 4 to 10 cardiac cycles with an original vascular echo-tracking device using Doppler shift. By the means of a transversal study of healthy subjects and patients followed up in the hypertension clinique, the authors set out to determine whether long-term non-specific antihypertensive treatment could, by correcting the blood pressure, also normalise the vascular changes encountered in hypertension. This study compared 46 normotensive subjects (Group I), 25 essential hypertensive patients with normal blood pressure recordings after at least 3 months' treatment (Group II) and 56 untreated essential hypertensive patients of the same average age (range 24 to 78 years). The common carotid artery was chosen for study of its geometry (internal diastolic diameter: Dd) and function (relative systolic expansion Ds-Dd/Dd; Perterson's elastic modulus; cross sectional compliance). The arterial diameter increased significantly with age in all three patients groups. In patients under 60 years of age, the diameter, corrected for age and sex, was significantly greater in Group II than in Group I, and similar in Groups II and III. This suggests that in spite of correcting blood pressure by long-term therapy (4.1 +/- 4.1 years), the internal diameter of a large artery such as the common carotid artery remains increased, which is in favour of the persistence of structural arterial changes rather than a prolonged vasodilator effect of the antihypertensive agents used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Rheology of fibrin clots. III. Shear creep and creep recovery of fine ligated and coarse unligated closts.

Creep and creep recovery of human fibrin clots in small shearing deformations have been investigated over a time scale from 24 to 10(4) s. Coarse, unligated clots and fine clots ligated by fibrinoligase in the presence of calcium ions were studied to suppliement previous data on coarse ligated and fine unligated clots. Stress was found to be proportional to strain up to at least a maximum shear strain (in torsion geometry) of 6.2%. The initial modulus (25 s after imposition of stress) is proportional to approximately the 1.5 power of concentration for fine ligated and coarse unligated clots. For fine unligated closts there is comparatively little creep subsequent to the initial deformation; ligation (in this case involving mostly the gamma chains) reduces the creep to nearly zero. For coarse unligated clots, there is substantially more creep under constant stress, and creep recovery is not complete. Ligation (in this case involving both camma and alpha chains) alrgely supresses the creep and causes the recovery to be complete. If the structure if fully formed before creep begins, tests of creep recovery by the Boltzmann superposition principle show adherence to linear visoelastic behavior for all four clot types. Otherwise, the Boltzmann test fails and the recovery is much less than calculated. For fine ligated clots, the observed recovery agrees well with that calculated on the basis of a dual structure model in which an additional independent structure is built up in the deformed state, so that the state of ease after removal of stress is a balance between two structures deformed in opposite senses. It is postulated that the coherence and elastic modulus of the fine ligated clot are largely due to steric blocking of long protofibrils with a high flexural stiffness. In the coarse clot, it is proposed that the structure involves extensive branching of thick bundles of protofibrils, which become permanently secured by the ligation of the alpha chains of the fibrin.

Blood Coagulation↗

New insight into agarose gel mechanical properties.

The current study focuses on the effects of the molecular weight on the mechanical behavior of agarose gels. The small strain rheology and large strain deformation/failure behavior of three different molecular weight agarose gels have been examined, with the results expressed in term of molar concentration. For small deformation strains, the gelation temperature at low concentrations and the critical concentration for gel formation are strongly affected by the molecular weight. In addition, the elasticity of the network is also very sensitive to this parameter. It has been demonstrated that the experimental gelation cure curves can be superimposed on a universal gelation master curve, independent of the cure time. This would indicate self-similarity of the network at different scales, irrespective of concentration. A relationship between the elastic modulus and the molecular weight has been extracted from these results, where the molecular weight dependence exhibits a power law exponent of 2.42. For large deformation strains, the Poisson ratio has been estimated to be 0.5 for each of the agarose types examined, which indicates that these gels are incompressible. The strain at failure is largely dependent on the molecular weight, and is essentially independent of the biopolymer concentration. This result highlights the fact that the strain at failure is sensitive to the connectivity distances in the gel network. However, the failure stress and Young's modulus of agarose gels show a dependence on both concentration and molecular weight. The observations regarding Young's modulus are in good agreement with those found for small deformation strain rheology for the shear modulus. One of the primary advantages of using the lowest molecular weight agarose is that higher molar concentrations can be reached (more molecules per unit volume). However, the mechanical response of agarose gels is very sensitive to the molecular weight at fixed molar concentration, and if the present results are extrapolated to very low molecular weight, it can be suggested that below a limiting molecular weight a percolating network will not be formed, as suggested by the Cascade model (Carbohydr. Polym. 1994, 23, 247-251). This speculation is based on the influence of the "connectivity" at long distances, which influences the strain at failure (when the strain at failure is zero, the system is not connective).

Algorithms↗

Evaluation of an accelerated aging medium for acrylic bone cement based on analysis of nanoindentation measurements on laboratory-prepared and retrieved specimens.

The thrust of the study was a critical evaluation of the efficacy of a medium (30% v/v H(2)O(2), at 60 degrees C) that has been suggested in a literature report as being suitable for simulating the oxidative aging process, seen in vivo, in the acrylic bone cement mantles of total hip and knee joint replacements. For this purpose, quasi-static and dynamic nanoindentation measurements were used to obtain material properties--elastic modulus, E; hardness, H; and the variation of the storage and loss moduli with the frequency of the applied indenting force--of PalacosR acrylic bone cement specimens after various periods of immersion (7, 14, 21, and 28 days) in the aging solution, and of specimens prepared from cement mantles retrieved from cemented total hip joint replacements after various times in vivo (0.92-21 years). Also, best-fit relationships were obtained between E and time in the H(2)O(2) solution (t), H and t, E and in vivo time (T), and H and T. This body of results points to the possibility that the aging solution is effective, although the evidence is not conclusive.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Design and characterisation of a wall motion phantom.

Arterial wall motion is an essential feature of a healthy cardiovascular system and it is known that wall motion is affected by age and disease. In recent years, methods have been developed for measurement of wall motion with the intention of providing diagnostically useful information. An issue with all of these techniques is the accuracy and variability of both wall motion and derived quantities such as elasticity, which requires the development of suitable test tools. In this paper, a vessel wall phantom is described for use in ultrasound studies of wall motion. The vessel was made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) subjected to a freeze-thaw process to form a cryogel (PVA-C). The elastic modulus, acoustic velocity and attenuation coefficient varied from 57 kPa, 1543 m s(-1) and 0.18 dB cm(-1) MHz(-1) for one freeze-thaw cycle to 330 kPa, 1583 m s(-1) and 0.42 dB cm(-1) MHz(-1) for 10 freeze-thaw cycles. Wall motion was effected by the use of pulsatile flow produced from a gear pump. The use of a downstream flow resistor removed gross distortions in the wall motion waveform, possibly by removal of reflected pressure waves. However, a low amplitude 20 Hz oscillation remained, which is unphysiologic and thought to be caused by the vibration of the distended PVA-C vessel.

Arteries↗

Biochemical functionalization of polymeric cell substrata can alter mechanical compliance.

Biochemical functionalization of surfaces is an increasingly utilized mechanism to promote or inhibit adhesion of cells. To promote mammalian cell adhesion, one common functionalization approach is surface conjugation of adhesion peptide sequences such as Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD), a ligand of transmembrane integrin molecules. It is generally assumed that such functionalization does not alter the local mechanical properties of the functionalized surface, as is important to interpretations of macromolecular mechanotransduction in cells. Here, we examine this assumption systematically, through nanomechanical measurement of the nominal elastic modulus of polymer multilayer films of nanoscale thickness, functionalized with RGD through different processing routes. We find that the method of biochemical functionalization can significantly alter mechanical compliance of polymeric substrata such as weak polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs), increasingly utilized materials for such studies. In particular, immersed adsorption of intermediate functionalization reagents significantly decreases compliance of the PEMs considered herein, whereas polymer-on-polymer stamping of these same reagents does not alter compliance of weak PEMs. This finding points to the potential unintended alteration of mechanical properties via surface functionalization and also suggests functionalization methods by which chemical and mechanical properties of cell substrata can be controlled independently.

Animals↗

Comparison of the mechanical properties of 2 prosthetic mini-implants.

Two prosthetic mini-implants (MTI and MDI), which have very similar shapes, are widely used. In this investigation, the mechanical and physical properties of 2 prosthetic mini-implants were investigated. The flexural properties were measured with a universal testing machine. The surface image was observed by SEM with EDX. X-ray analyses were performed. The maximum strength and proportion limit for the different implants differed significantly (P <0.01); however, elastic modulus did not differ significantly (P >0.01). Although the surface of the MTI was smooth, the MDI had a rough surface. The elemental analysis detected titanium (Ti) in the MTI, and Ti, aluminum, and vanadium in the MDI. From the x-ray diffraction pattern, the MTI, which is composed of pure titanium, had a narrow, sharp Ti (syn) peak, whereas the corresponding peak for the MDI was small and broad. Although the 2 devices have similar shapes and dimensions, their surfaces and mechanical properties differ greatly. MTI is easy to remove and wrought in clinical use, and MDI is excellent in flexural properties compared with MTI. (Implant Dent 2004;13:251-256)

Aluminum↗

The polymethyl methacrylate cervical cage for treatment of cervical disk disease Part III. Biomechanical properties.

BACKGROUND: In a previous article, we used the PMMA cervical cage in the treatment of single-level cervical disk disease and the preliminary clinical results were satisfactory. However, the mechanical properties of the PMMA cage were not clear. Therefore, we designed a comparative in vitro biomechanical study to determine the mechanical properties of the PMMA cage. METHODS: The PMMA cervical cage and the Solis PEEK cervical cage were compressed in a materials testing machine to determine the mechanical properties. RESULTS: The compressive yield strength of the PMMA cage (7030 +/- 637 N) was less than that of the Solis polymer cervical cage (8100 +/- 572 N). The ultimate compressive strength of the PMMA cage (8160 +/- 724 N) was less than that of the Solis cage (9100 +/- 634 N). The stiffness of the PMMA cervical cage (8106 +/- 817 N/mm) was greater than that of the Solis cage (6486 +/- 530 N/mm). The elastic modulus of the PMMA cage (623 +/- 57 MPa) was greater than that of the Solis cage (510 +/- 42 MPa). The elongation of PMMA cage (43.5 +/- 5.7%) was larger than that of the Solis cage (36.1 +/- 4.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the compressive yield strength and ultimate compressive strength of the PMMA cervical cage were less than those of the Solis polymer cage, the mechanical properties are better than those of the cervical vertebral body. The PMMA cage is strong and safe for use as a spacer for cervical interbody fusion. Compared with other cage materials, the PMMA cage has many advantages and no obvious failings at present. However, the PMMA cervical cage warrants further long-term clinical study.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

The structure and mechanical design of rhinoceros dermal armour.

The collagenous dermis of the white rhinoceros forms a thick, protective armour that is highly specialized in its structure and material properties compared with other mammalian skin. Rhinoceros skin is three times thicker than predicted allometrically, and it contains a dense and highly ordered three-dimensional array of relatively straight and highly crosslinked collagen fibres. The skin of the back and flanks exhibits a steep stress-strain curve with very little 'toe' region, a high elastic modulus (240 MPa), a high tensile strength (30 MPa), a low breaking strain (0.24) and high breaking energy (3 MJm-3) and work of fracture (78 kJm-2). By comparison, the belly skin is somewhat less stiff, weaker, and more extensible. In compression, rhinoceros skin withstands average stresses and strains of 170 MPa and 0.7, respectively, before yielding. As a biological material, rhinoceros dorsolateral skin has properties that are intermediate between those of 'normal' mammalian skin and tendons. This study shows that the dermal armour of the rhinoceros is very well adapted to resist blows from the horns of conspecifics, as might occur during aggressive behaviour, due to specialized material properties as well as its great thickness.

Aggression↗

Crack initiation modes in bilayered alumina/porcelain disks as a function of core/veneer thickness ratio and supporting substrate stiffness.

We hypothesize that the fracture resistance of alumina core/porcelain veneer disks increases and that crack initiation shifts from veneer to core as the core/veneer thickness ratio (t(C)/t(V)) increases from 0.5/1.0 to 1.3/0.2, or as the elastic modulus of the supporting substrate (E(S)) to which it is resin-bonded increases from 5.1 to 226 GPa. When supported by a low-modulus substrate, disks with low t(C)/t(V) ratios exhibited cracks in the veneer and within the core, while those with high t(C)/t(V) ratios demonstrated core cracks, but not veneer cracks. None of the disks supported by Ni-Cr alloy (E = 226 GPa) exhibited core cracks. These results support the hypothesis that the crack initiation site shifts as the t(C)/t(V) ratio increases, but the increase in E(S) did not affect the crack initiation site. This study suggests that the t(C)/t(V) ratio is the dominant factor that controls the failure initiation site in bilayered ceramic disks.

Aluminum Oxide↗

Abnormalities in the mechanical properties of red blood cells caused by Plasmodium falciparum.

Although changes in the mechanical properties of infected red cells may contribute to the pathophysiology of malaria, such changes have not previously been described in detail. In this study, the physical properties of individual cells from both clinical and cultured samples infected with Plasmodium falciparum were tested using micropipette aspiration techniques. Cells containing ring forms took about 50% longer to enter 3 microns pipettes compared with nonparasitised cells, and there was a similar increase in the critical pressure required to induce cell entry. These abnormalities were similar in clinical and cultured samples. More mature cultured parasites (ie, trophozoites and schizonts containing pigment) caused much greater loss of deformability, with entry time and pressure increased four to sixfold. The decrease in deformability of the ring forms was attributable to a deficit in cell surface area/volume ratio (based on micropipette measurement of the surface area and volume of individual cells) and slight stiffening of the cell membrane (shear elastic modulus increased 13%, as measured by pipette aspiration of small membrane tongues). Measurement of the rate of cell shape recovery indicated that the membrane of parasitised cells was not more viscous. The main factor in the drastic loss of deformability of the trophozoites and schizonts was the presence of the large very resistant parasite itself. Otherwise, the cell surface area/volume deficit was slightly less and membrane rigidification slightly greater compared with ring forms. The above abnormalities should cause the trophozoites and schizonts to have great difficulty in traversing splenic or marrow sinuses and could contribute to microvascular occlusion and sequestration. On the other hand, the ring forms may be expected to circulate relatively unhindered.

Animals↗

Modulus of resilience as predictor for clinical wear of restorative resins.

Eight posterior restorative resins were tested with respect to flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, and modulus of resilience. The mechanical properties were correlated to the two-year results of clinical wear tests. Linear relationships were found between flexural strength and clinical wear and between modulus of resilience and clinical wear. It was concluded that modulus of resilience be used in research and quality control for the prediction of clinical wear.

Acrylic Resins↗

Determination of mechanical stiffness of bone by pQCT measurements: correlation with non-destructive mechanical four-point bending test data.

Mechanical tests of bone provide valuable information about material and structural properties important for understanding bone pathology in both clinical and research settings, but no previous studies have produced applicable non-invasive, quantitative estimates of bending stiffness. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) data to accurately compute the bending stiffness of bone. Normal rabbit humeri (N=8) were scanned at their mid-diaphyses using pQCT. The average bone mineral densities and the cross-sectional moments of inertia were computed from the pQCT cross-sections. Bending stiffness was determined as a function of the elastic modulus of compact bone (based on the local bone mineral density), cross-sectional moment of inertia, and simulated quasistatic strain rate. The actual bending stiffness of the bones was determined using four-point bending tests. Comparison of the bending stiffness estimated from the pQCT data and the mechanical bending stiffness revealed excellent correlation (R2=0.96). The bending stiffness from the pQCT data was on average 103% of that obtained from the four-point bending tests. The results indicate that pQCT data can be used to accurately determine the bending stiffness of normal bone. Possible applications include temporal quantification of fracture healing and risk management of osteoporosis or other bone pathologies.

Animals↗

Size and distensibility of the aortic root and aortic valve function after different techniques of the ross procedure.

OBJECTIVES: In the Ross procedure, 3 different techniques are used for aortic valve replacement with the pulmonary autograft: freestanding root, inclusion, and subcoronary implantation. The objective of this study was to evaluate echocardiographically the influence of the particular operative technique on dimension, distensibility, and valve function. METHODS: Between February 1990 and August 1998, the Ross procedure was performed in 111 patients (mean age, 48.6 +/- 14.1 years; range, 15.2-70.6 years), with 1 early and 1 late death, 1 autograft replacement, and 1 patient lost to follow-up. The remaining patients underwent the freestanding root (n = 9 patients), inclusion (n = 14 patients), and subcoronary techniques (n = 84 patients). Echocardiography was performed at a mean follow-up of 26 +/- 21.3 months after operation and was compared with the echocardiographic findings of the control subjects (n = 10 subjects). Root sizes were measured at the level of the anulus, sinus, and supra-aortic ridge; the distensibility was calculated as pressure strain elastic modulus and percent change of radius. RESULTS: Size and distensibility of the aortic root were normal, except for a larger diameter at the sinus level in the root technique in comparison to the subcoronary technique (P <.05; maximum diameter, 41.3 +/- 8.6 mm vs 32.6 +/- 4.0 mm). Aortic valve function was comparable among groups with low pressure gradients and most patients with no or trace aortic insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The freestanding root, inclusion, and subcoronary techniques in the Ross procedure provide comparable excellent hemodynamics, normal root size, and distensibility, except for the enlarged sinus diameter in the freestanding root. These results may have some impact on the operative procedure and follow-up investigations.

Adult↗

Alloys for prosthodontic restorations.

The numbers and types of alloys for prosthodontic restorations have increased dramatically over the past 25 years, making selection of an alloy for a given clinical situation difficult. Factors such as cost, the need for better strength, and worries about alloy corrosion have pressured the alloy market to change significantly. A number of properties--including yield strength, hardness, elastic modulus, microstructural phases, grain size, corrosion performance, coefficient of thermal expansion, oxide color, and melting range--are relevant to the proper selection of an alloy for a given clinical problem. In this article, a brief historical look at prosthodontic alloys and the nomenclature for alloys is followed by a discussion of the most important physical properties of alloys for clinical practice. A summary of the types of alloys available today and their classification is then presented. Finally, speculations about future trends for alloys are made, and simple guidelines are suggested to help dentists choose appropriate alloys for their practices. This review excludes implant alloys, dental amalgam, and alloys for orthodontic and endodontic applications.

Biocompatible Materials↗

Monitoring of hemostatic status in four patients being treated with recombinant factor VIIa.

Recombinant Factor VIIa (rVIIa) is a potent hemostatic agent for the management of refractory bleeding in patients with Factor VII deficiency or Factor VIII inhibitors. While the current recommended dose is usually effective, the most appropriate dose remains a subject of debate. Since factor VII levels and shortening of the pro-thrombin time do not appear to correlate with response, an appropriate laboratory marker of clinical response has not been identified. In this article we report changes noted in thrombin generation, platelet function and clot structure in blood from patients treated with rVIIa. Thrombin generation was assessed via a thrombin generation time (TGT) assay using a Hemodyne HAS instrument. Changes in clot structure were assessed as changes in clot elastic modulus in the HAS, changes in maximum amplitude in the TEG and changes in maximum clot firmness in the ROTEG. The cases presented confirmed improvement in thrombin generation with administration of rVIIa. The cases also illustrate that: a) in the factor VII deficient patient, 25% of the 90 microg/kg dose is sufficient to totally correct the defect, b) patients with high level factor VIII inhibitors may require significantly more than the recommended dose of 90 microg/kg, c) thrombin generation may not be completely corrected despite dramatic shortening of the prothrombin time, and d) increasing rVIIa doses does not by itself ensure improved thrombin generation.

Aged↗