Time-resolved in situ synchrotron-microCT: 4D deformation of bone and bone analogues using digital volume correlation

DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.06.014

Authors: Marta Pena Fernandez (University of Portsmouth; Heriot-Watt University) , Alexander P. Kao (University of Portsmouth) , Roxane Bonithon (University of Portsmouth) , David Howells (Swansea University) , Andrew J. Bodey (Diamond Light Source) , Kazimir Wanelik (Diamond Light Source) , Frank Witte (Biotrics Bioimplants AG; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin) , Richard Johnston (Swansea University) , Hari Arora (Swansea University) , Gianluca Tozzi (University of Portsmouth)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Acta Biomaterialia , VOL 20

State: Published (Approved)
Published: June 2021
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 22575 , 20132

Abstract: Digital volume correlation (DVC) in combination with high-resolution micro-computed tomography (microCT) imaging and in situ mechanical testing is gaining popularity for quantifying 3D full-field strains in bone and biomaterials. However, traditional in situ time-lapsed (i.e., interrupted) mechanical testing cannot fully capture the dynamic strain mechanisms in viscoelastic biological materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the time-resolved deformation of bone structures and analogues via continuous in situ synchrotron-radiation microCT (SR-microCT) compression and DVC to gain a better insight into their structure-function relationships. Fast SR-microCT imaging enabled the deformation behaviour to be captured with high temporal and spatial resolution. Time-resolved DVC highlighted the relationship between local strains and damage initiation and progression in the different biostructures undergoing plastic deformation, bending and/or buckling of their main microstructural elements. The results showed that SR-microCT continuous mechanical testing complemented and enhanced the information obtained from time-lapsed testing, which may underestimate the 3D strain magnitudes as a result of the stress relaxation occurring in between steps before image acquisition in porous biomaterials. Altogether, the findings of this study highlight the importance of time-resolved in situ experiments to fully characterise the time-dependent mechanical behaviour of biological tissues and biomaterials and to further explore their micromechanics under physiologically relevant conditions.

Journal Keywords: Bone; time-resolved SR-microCT; continuous in situ mechanics; digital volume correlation; time-dependent behaviour

Diamond Keywords: Bone

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials


Instruments: I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging

Added On: 15/06/2021 10:34

Discipline Tags:

Biomaterials Materials Science Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags:

Imaging Tomography