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Quantitative intravoxel analysis of microCT-scanned resorbing ceramic biomaterials – Perspectives for computer-aided biomaterial design

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2014

Agnes Czenek ,
Romane Blanchard ,
Alexander Dejaco ,
Ólafur E. Sigurjónsson ,
Gissur Örlygsson ,
Paolo Gargiulo  and
Christian Hellmich
Agnes Czenek
Affiliation:
Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria; Institute of Biomedical and Neural Engineering, Reykjavik University, Iceland; and Department of Science, Landspitali University Hospital, Iceland
Romane Blanchard
Affiliation:
Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria
Alexander Dejaco
Affiliation:
Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria
Ólafur E. Sigurjónsson
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical and Neural Engineering, Reykjavik University, Iceland; and REModel Lab, The Blood Bank, Landspitali University Hospital, Iceland
Gissur Örlygsson
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Biotechnology and Energy, Innovation Center Iceland, Iceland
Paolo Gargiulo
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical and Neural Engineering, Reykjavik University, Iceland; and Department of Science, Landspitali University Hospital, Iceland
Christian Hellmich*
Affiliation:
Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Driving the field of micro computed tomography toward more quantitative, rather than qualitative, approaches, we here present a new evaluation method, which uses the unique linear relationship between gray values and x-ray attenuation coefficients, together with the energy-dependence of the latter, to identify (i) the average x-ray energy used in the CT device, (ii) the x-ray attenuation coefficients, and (iii), via the x-ray attenuation average rule, the intravoxel composition, i.e., the microporosity, which, amongst others, governs the voxel-specific mechanical properties, such as stiffness and strength. The method is realized for six 3D tricalcium phosphate scaffolds, seeded with pre-osteoblastic cells and differentiated for 3, 6, and 8 weeks, respectively. The corresponding voxel-specific microporosities turn out to increase during the culturing period (resulting in reduced elastic properties, as determined from micromechanical considerations), while the overall macroporosity remains constant. The new methods are expected to further foster the development of a rationally based and computer-aided design of biomaterials and tissue engineering scaffolds.

Keywords

tissue engineering scaffoldcontinuum micromechanicscomputed tomographyx-ray physicsbone biomaterialstricalcium phosphate
Type
Invited Feature Papers
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 29 , Issue 23 , 14 December 2014 , pp. 2757 - 2772
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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