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Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2016) | Viewed by 37856

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Improved performance of multi-functional biomaterials is dependent on proper design and selection of the different characteristics that determine their performance. Biomechanics is the context within which the biomaterials can be designed based on objective performance-related criteria, such as mechanical behavior, mass transport properties, mechanobiological performance, etc. Moreover, biomechanical characterization of tissues could be used for developing new bio-inspired biomaterials. These are some of the reasons why it is important to study biomaterials and tissue biomechanics simultaneously and within a unified context. This Special Issue, therefore, aims to bring the biomaterials and tissue biomechanics communities together and publish reports on the recent developments in biomaterials and tissue biomechanics as well as the interface of both disciplines. The topics of interest encompass the entire spectrum of various research areas within biomaterials and tissue biomechanics including (but not limited to):

  • Biomechanics of bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, and other soft tissues.
  • Mechanical behavior of tissues and biomaterials
  • Neural biomechanics
  • Orthopaedic implants
  • Mass transport in tissues and biomaterials including the diffusion behavior, permeability, and other mass transport properties of biomaterials and tissues.
  • 3D printing and additive manufacturing in biomaterials and biomechanics
  • Self-assembly in biomaterials and tissue biomechanics
  • Shape-property relationships in biomaterials and tissue biomechanics including the effects of geometry, morphology, and (nano-) topography on the performance of biomaterials and development of tissues.
  • Multi-scale biomechanics
  • Patient-specific finite element models and implants
  • Biofabrication including bioprinting
  • Soft matter including hydrogels
  • Metallic biomaterials
  • Biomechanics at the nano-scale
  • Cell mechanics including cytoskeletal mechanics

Dr. Amir A. Zadpoor
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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205 KiB  
Editorial
Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics: A Match Made in Heaven?
by Amir A. Zadpoor
Materials 2017, 10(5), 528; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10050528 - 13 May 2017
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4766
Abstract
Biomaterials and tissue biomechanics have been traditionally separate areas of research with relatively little overlap in terms of methodological approaches. Recent advances in both fields on the one hand and developments in fabrication techniques and design approaches on the other have prepared the [...] Read more.
Biomaterials and tissue biomechanics have been traditionally separate areas of research with relatively little overlap in terms of methodological approaches. Recent advances in both fields on the one hand and developments in fabrication techniques and design approaches on the other have prepared the ground for joint research efforts by both communities. Additive manufacturing and rational design are examples of the revolutionary fabrication techniques and design methodologies that could facilitate more intimate collaboration between biomaterial scientists and biomechanists. This editorial article highlights the various ways in which the research on tissue biomechanics and biomaterials are related to each other and could benefit from each other’s results and methodologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics)

Research

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3915 KiB  
Article
Numerical Prediction of the Mechanical Failure of the Intervertebral Disc under Complex Loading Conditions
by Gloria Casaroli, Tomaso Villa, Tito Bassani, Nikolaus Berger-Roscher, Hans-Joachim Wilke and Fabio Galbusera
Materials 2017, 10(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10010031 - 3 Jan 2017
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6787
Abstract
Finite element modeling has been widely used to simulate the mechanical behavior of the intervertebral disc. Previous models have been generally limited to the prediction of the disc behavior under simple loading conditions, thus neglecting its response to complex loads, which may induce [...] Read more.
Finite element modeling has been widely used to simulate the mechanical behavior of the intervertebral disc. Previous models have been generally limited to the prediction of the disc behavior under simple loading conditions, thus neglecting its response to complex loads, which may induce its failure. The aim of this study was to generate a finite element model of the ovine lumbar intervertebral disc, in which the annulus was characterized by an anisotropic hyperelastic formulation, and to use it to define which mechanical condition was unsafe for the disc. Based on published in vitro results, numerical analyses under combined flexion, lateral bending, and axial rotation with a magnitude double that of the physiological ones were performed. The simulations showed that flexion was the most unsafe load and an axial tensile stress greater than 10 MPa can cause disc failure. The numerical model here presented can be used to predict the failure of the disc under all loading conditions, which may support indications about the degree of safety of specific motions and daily activities, such as weight lifting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics)
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4622 KiB  
Article
Investigation on the Regional Loss Factor and Its Anisotropy for Aortic Aneurysms
by Nastaran Shahmansouri, Mohammed Alreshidan, Alexander Emmott, Kevin Lachapelle, Ismaïl El-Hamamsy, Raymond Cartier, Richard L. Leask and Rosaire Mongrain
Materials 2016, 9(11), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma9110867 - 26 Oct 2016
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4577
Abstract
An aortic aneurysm is a lethal arterial disease that mainly occurs in the thoracic and abdominal regions of the aorta. Thoracic aortic aneurysms are prevalent in the root/ascending parts of the aorta and can lead to aortic rupture resulting in the sudden death [...] Read more.
An aortic aneurysm is a lethal arterial disease that mainly occurs in the thoracic and abdominal regions of the aorta. Thoracic aortic aneurysms are prevalent in the root/ascending parts of the aorta and can lead to aortic rupture resulting in the sudden death of patients. Understanding the biomechanical and histopathological changes associated with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs), this study investigates the mechanical properties of the aorta during strip-biaxial tensile cycles. The loss factor—defined as the ratio of dissipated energy to the energy absorbed during a tensile cycle—the incremental modulus, and their anisotropy indexes were compared with the media fiber compositions for aneurysmal (n = 26) and control (n = 4) human ascending aortas. The aneurysmal aortas were categorized into the aortas with bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valves (TAV). The strip-biaxial loss factor correlates well with the diameter of the aortas with BAV and TAV (for the axial direction, respectively, R2 = 0.71, p = 0.0022 and R2 = 0.54, p = 0.0096). The loss factor increases significantly with patients’ age in the BAV group (for the axial direction: R2 = 0.45, p = 0.0164). The loss factor is isotropic for all TAV quadrants, whereas it is on average only isotropic in the anterior and outer curvature regions of the BAV group. The results suggest that loss factor may be a useful surrogate measure to describe the histopathology of aneurysmal tissue and to demonstrate the differences between ATAAs with the BAV and TAV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics)
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4878 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Thick Honeycombs
by Reza Hedayati, Mojtaba Sadighi, Mohammad Mohammadi Aghdam and Amir Abbas Zadpoor
Materials 2016, 9(8), 613; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma9080613 - 23 Jul 2016
Cited by 79 | Viewed by 12162
Abstract
Honeycombs resemble the structure of a number of natural and biological materials such as cancellous bone, wood, and cork. Thick honeycomb could be also used for energy absorption applications. Moreover, studying the mechanical behavior of honeycombs under in-plane loading could help understanding the [...] Read more.
Honeycombs resemble the structure of a number of natural and biological materials such as cancellous bone, wood, and cork. Thick honeycomb could be also used for energy absorption applications. Moreover, studying the mechanical behavior of honeycombs under in-plane loading could help understanding the mechanical behavior of more complex 3D tessellated structures such as porous biomaterials. In this paper, we study the mechanical behavior of thick honeycombs made using additive manufacturing techniques that allow for fabrication of honeycombs with arbitrary and precisely controlled thickness. Thick honeycombs with different wall thicknesses were produced from polylactic acid (PLA) using fused deposition modelling, i.e., an additive manufacturing technique. The samples were mechanically tested in-plane under compression to determine their mechanical properties. We also obtained exact analytical solutions for the stiffness matrix of thick hexagonal honeycombs using both Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories. The stiffness matrix was then used to derive analytical relationships that describe the elastic modulus, yield stress, and Poisson’s ratio of thick honeycombs. Finite element models were also built for computational analysis of the mechanical behavior of thick honeycombs under compression. The mechanical properties obtained using our analytical relationships were compared with experimental observations and computational results as well as with analytical solutions available in the literature. It was found that the analytical solutions presented here are in good agreement with experimental and computational results even for very thick honeycombs, whereas the analytical solutions available in the literature show a large deviation from experimental observation, computational results, and our analytical solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics)
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2125 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Characterization and Constitutive Modeling of Human Trachea: Age and Gender Dependency
by Farzaneh Safshekan, Mohammad Tafazzoli-Shadpour, Majid Abdouss and Mohammad B. Shadmehr
Materials 2016, 9(6), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma9060456 - 8 Jun 2016
Cited by 66 | Viewed by 8433
Abstract
Tracheal disorders can usually reduce the free lumen diameter or wall stiffness, and hence limit airflow. Trachea tissue engineering seems a promising treatment for such disorders. The required mechanical compatibility of the prepared scaffold with native trachea necessitates investigation of the mechanical behavior [...] Read more.
Tracheal disorders can usually reduce the free lumen diameter or wall stiffness, and hence limit airflow. Trachea tissue engineering seems a promising treatment for such disorders. The required mechanical compatibility of the prepared scaffold with native trachea necessitates investigation of the mechanical behavior of the human trachea. This study aimed at mechanical characterization of human tracheas and comparing the results based on age and gender. After isolating 30 human tracheas, samples of tracheal cartilage, smooth muscle, and connective tissue were subjected to uniaxial tension to obtain force-displacement curves and calculate stress-stretch data. Among several models, the Yeoh and Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic functions were best able to describe hyperelastic behavior of all three tracheal components. The mean value of the elastic modulus of human tracheal cartilage was calculated to be 16.92 ± 8.76 MPa. An overall tracheal stiffening with age was observed, with the most considerable difference in the case of cartilage. Consistently, we noticed some histological alterations in cartilage and connective tissue with aging, which may play a role in age-related tracheal stiffening. No considerable effect of gender on the mechanical behavior of tracheal components was observed. The results of this study can be applied in the design and fabrication of trachea tissue engineering scaffolds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics)
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