Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials最新文献

{"title":"Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) partially prevents elastase-induced mechanical and microstructural changes in the mouse ascending aorta in vitro","authors":"Luis A. Castro ,&nbsp;Dongfang E. Chen ,&nbsp;Aidan O'Scannlain ,&nbsp;Krashn K. Dwivedi ,&nbsp;Keshav A. Kailash ,&nbsp;Jacob Rother ,&nbsp;Christie L. Crandall ,&nbsp;Robyn A. Roth ,&nbsp;Carmen M. Halabi ,&nbsp;Jessica E. Wagenseil","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107340","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107340","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elastic fibers are critical for proper mechanical function of large arteries such as the aorta. Fragmentation, degradation, or reduced amounts of elastic fibers are associated with aortic diseases such as stiffening-induced hypertension and aneurysms. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a plant-based polyphenol that has been shown to increase elastic fiber synthesis, preventing stiffening-induced hypertension and alleviating abdominal aortic aneurysms. EGCG is similar in structure to another polyphenol, pentagalloyl glucose, that has been shown to increase elastic fiber synthesis and prevent elastic fiber degradation. The effects of EGCG on elastic fiber degradation have not been previously investigated. In this study, elastase (ELA) was used to degrade elastic fibers in the mouse ascending aorta and the preventative and restorative potential of EGCG was determined by characterizing the passive, circumferential mechanical behavior and microstructural organization of the aortic wall. EGCG treatment alone had no effect on the mechanical behavior or microstructural organization of the aortic wall. ELA treatment alone resulted in increased aortic diameter, altered aortic compliance, reduced low modulus, increased high modulus, and decreased density of the elastic fiber layers in the wall. EGCG as a preventative treatment before ELA partially prevented the changes in mechanical behavior and wall structure observed with ELA. EGCG as a restorative treatment after ELA did not prevent the changes in mechanical behavior and wall structure associated with ELA. These results suggest that EGCG may be an effective preventative pharmaceutical treatment option for cardiovascular diseases that are characterized by elastic fiber degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107340"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145961070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the correlation between force output, strains, and pressure for active skeletal muscle contractions","authors":"Karan Taneja ,&nbsp;Xiaolong He ,&nbsp;Chung-Hao Lee ,&nbsp;John Hodgson ,&nbsp;Usha Sinha ,&nbsp;Shantanu Sinha ,&nbsp;Jiun-Shyan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107315","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107315","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Measuring the forces of individual muscles in a muscle group around a joint is non-trivial, and researchers have suggested using surrogates for individual muscle forces instead. Traditionally, experimentalists have shown that the force output of the skeletal muscle tissue can be correlated to the intra-muscular pressure (IMP) generated by the muscle belly. However, IMP proves difficult to measure <em>in vivo</em>, due to variations from sensor placement and invasiveness of the procedure. Numerical biomechanical simulations offer a tool to analyze muscle contractions, enabling new insights into the correlations among non-invasive experimentally measurable quantities, such as strains and the force output. In this work, we investigate the correlations between the muscle force output, the principal, shear and volumetric strains experienced by the muscle, as well as the pressure developed within the muscle belly as the tissue undergoes isometric contractions with varying activation profiles and magnitudes. It is observed that pressure does not correlate well with force output under higher sub-maximal and maximal activation levels, especially at locations away from the center of the muscle belly due to pressure relaxation effects. This study reveals strong correlations between force output and the strains at all locations of the belly, irrespective of the type of activation considered. This observation offers evidence for further <em>in vivo</em> studies using experimentally measurable principal and volumetric strains in the muscle belly as proxies for the force generation by the individual muscle and consequently enables the estimation on the contribution of various muscle groups to the total force.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107315"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146121420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation of triple-network CS-QCH-TA/PAA hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties for flexible sensors","authors":"Rena Simayi ,&nbsp;Junxiao Wang ,&nbsp;Amatjan Sawut ,&nbsp;Long Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogels typically exhibit significant swelling in aqueous environments and fail to maintain stable mechanical properties underwater, which severely limits their practical applications. To address this critical challenge, we herein report the incorporation of tannic acid (TA) as a multifunctional crosslinker and the adoption of a facile one-pot synthesis method for the fabrication of chitosan–chitosan quaternary ammonium salt–tannic acid/poly(acrylic acid) (CS-QCH-TA/PAA) triple-network hydrogels. The optimized hydrogel (with 5% TA) demonstrates exceptional mechanical performance, including a tensile strength of ∼1900 kPa and a compressive strength of ∼6913 kPa, which outperforms previously reported dual-network hydrogels. Benefiting from multiple dynamic crosslinking interactions, the hydrogel can autonomously repair damage and retain mechanical strength even after swelling. As a proof-of-concept, flexible strain sensors fabricated from this hydrogel exhibit clear and repeatable signals when monitoring human finger and wrist movements. Furthermore, the reduced water swelling behavior of the hydrogel ensures stable performance under wet conditions. This work provides a novel strategy for preparing robust, self-healing hydrogels with enhanced water stability, thereby paving the way for their potential applications in wearable sensors, biomedical devices, and other fields requiring hydrogels to withstand aqueous environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107353"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146121442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental investigation of the microstructure and mechanics of human middle cerebral arteries","authors":"Nele Demeersseman ,&nbsp;David Nolan ,&nbsp;Aoife Glynn ,&nbsp;Francesco Digeronimo ,&nbsp;Yasmine Guendouz ,&nbsp;Nele Famaey ,&nbsp;Caitríona Lally","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107333","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107333","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A detailed understanding of cerebral artery biomechanics is essential for advancing cerebrovascular research and neurovascular device development. Yet, despite the clinical relevance of these vessels, high-fidelity experimental data remains extremely limited. As a result, current device development is often informed by data from non-cerebral vessels or animals. To address this gap, this study characterized the mechanical behavior and structural composition of human middle cerebral arteries obtained from six donors. Ring-extension testing was used to quantify elastin- and collagen-dominant region stiffnesses, while histological staining was used to assess elastin, collagen, and smooth muscle cell (SMC) content. Histology revealed that, unlike large elastic arteries, cerebral arteries are dominated by SMCs, contain sparse elastin, and lack a distinct external elastic lamina. Comparative analysis showed that mechanical behavior could not be inferred from composition alone, highlighting the importance of considering tissue integrity and organization when assessing structure. To explore clinically relevant differences, samples were grouped by cardiovascular disease (CVD) status and arterial branch type (M1 vs. M2). CVD-affected arteries exhibited significantly higher elastin-dominant region stiffness and reduced medial SMC content (p &lt; 0.05). M2 branches showed significantly lower collagen-dominant region stiffness, internal elastic lamina fraction, and adventitial collagen content compared to M1 branches (p &lt; 0.05). These findings highlight the structural and mechanical heterogeneity of human cerebral arteries and suggest that neurovascular device design and deployment strategies might benefit from considering both disease state and anatomical location. By jointly evaluating mechanics and composition, this study provides a foundational dataset to guide future cerebrovascular research and device development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107333"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tetrahedral microFE models of human trabecular bone can be a valid alternative to voxel-based hexahedral models: A comparative study using an open-source workflow","authors":"Giulia Fraterrigo ,&nbsp;Alfonso Dario Santamaria ,&nbsp;Gianluca Iori ,&nbsp;Martino Pani ,&nbsp;Gianluigi Crimi ,&nbsp;Enrico Schileo ,&nbsp;Fulvia Taddei","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107326","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107326","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107326"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of the screw configuration of the distal fibular plate on the biomechanics of lateral malleolar oblique fractures","authors":"Tianqi Wang ,&nbsp;Xinyuan Shi ,&nbsp;Shuanzhu Wang ,&nbsp;Yongzhi Gong ,&nbsp;Haiquan Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107349","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107349","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To investigate the influence of screw configuration of the distal fibular plate on the biomechanical effects of lateral malleolar oblique fractures. In this paper, multiple models were established using Computed Tomography (CT) data. Finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to compare the biomechanical characteristics (fracture-site displacement, fibular von Mises stress, and internal implant von Mises stress) of four internal fixation methods under different loading conditions (350N and 700N) and physiological conditions (20° dorsiflexion, 10° dorsiflexion, neutral, 10° plantarflexion, and 20° plantarflexion). In vitro experiments were performed for validation, and the results agreed well with the FEA predictions. The results indicated that the distal fibular plate with six screws yielded lower peak values of fracture-site displacement as well as lower peak fibular and internal implant von Mises stresses. Across physiological conditions, the lowest peak fracture-site displacement and the lowest peak fibular and internal implant von Mises stresses consistently occurred at 20° dorsiflexion. Moreover, all fixation configurations exhibited higher stability in dorsiflexion than in the neutral and plantarflexion positions. Overall, this study characterizes the stability and mechanical safety of distal fibular plate fixation under different physiological conditions during simulated daily standing, and may provide biomechanical evidence to support clinical fixation selection and postoperative rehabilitation planning for lateral malleolar fractures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107349"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agarose as a tissue mimic for porcine kidney at the micro-length scale","authors":"Aadarsh Mishra ,&nbsp;Riaz Akhtar ,&nbsp;Robin O. Cleveland","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agarose gels are frequently utilized to simulate tissue. This study aimed to find an appropriate agarose concentration that matches the mechanical characteristics of pig kidney at the micro length scale and compare these to macro-scale properties. For all agarose samples and porcine kidneys, the shear storage modulus and loss modulus were measured at the micro-length scale using nanoindentation measurements with a 100 μm diameter probe, for frequencies from 10 Hz to 110 Hz. Measurements at the macro-length scale were carried out with a rheometer from 0.1 Hz to a maximum of 9.5 Hz at a shear strain amplitude of 0.1 % and fit to a fractional derivative mechanical model. The storage modulus at the micro-length scale was higher by factor of 1.2–70 than the storage modulus at macro-length scale in kidney samples and agarose (depending on agarose concentration), which was linked to gel and tissue microstructure. An agarose concentration of 1.2 % best fitted the kidney tissue properties at microscale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107332"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146004600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interactive study blocks for hydraulic cement research in endodontics","authors":"Daniel Heward ,&nbsp;Diana Abduallah ,&nbsp;Josette Camilleri ,&nbsp;Omid Doustdar","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2026.107352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Hydraulic cements used in endodontic therapy interact with the clinical environment. <em>In vitro</em> testing requires the use of extracted human teeth to mimic the clinical environment. This introduces bias, ethical restrictions and a limited supply of natural teeth, so an alternative tooth replica is required to mimic the microstructure, morphology and the mineral content of natural dentine.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A slip-casting method was chosen to produce a tooth replica from a slurry of hydroxyapatite, porogen, binding and dispersing agent. μ-CT scanning was used to create an accurate 3D model of the root canal anatomy of extracted teeth. Plaster moulds were produced to accommodate the slip-casting process, and samples of variable hydroxyapatite-to-porogen ratio were created to study the effect of this ratio on the resulting microstructure and hardness and whether these values were comparable to natural dentine. All three compositions were analysed using a scanning electron microscope for the microstructural assessment and a Vickers indenter to determine the microhardness.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All the tested compositions closely matched the pore diameter of that of the coronal and middle thirds of natural teeth while demonstrating significantly bigger pore diameters compared to the apical section except composition 3 which showed significantly bigger pore diameters compared to both middle and apical sections. Varying the wt.% of the constituent materials did not significantly affect the pore density/mm² (ranging from 8787 to 11,813). All compositions revealed hardness values higher than natural dentine, which shows potential as a suitable tooth substitute in research.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The slip casting method to manufacture hydroxyapatite tooth replicas is promising but requires further research to assess its suitability to test hydraulic cements in endodontics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 107352"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146127623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reassessing the center of resistance in maxillary central incisors for clinical application","authors":"Falko Schmidt,&nbsp;Martin Eberhard Geiger,&nbsp;Bernd Georg Lapatki","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The center of resistance (CR) allows orthodontists to predict tooth movement (TM) in response to therapeutic load application. However, previously reported CR locations vary immensely, questioning the reliability of commonly used mean values. This study quantifies CR variability in maxillary central incisors relative to anatomical variables to improve the reliability and individualization of CR assessment.</div><div>CR locations were determined from volumetric scans of 30 teeth using nonlinear finite element analysis under clinically relevant loads. Results for various labiolingual crown inclinations (−45°–30°), expressed as vertical distance to the orthodontic bracket and relative to root height, were analyzed and compared with literature, considering load direction and methodology employed. Morphological and load variables were correlated with CR locations via linear regression, and predictor importance was assessed.</div><div>The mean vertical CR-to-bracket-center distance was 9.1 mm in Andrews’ anatomical orientation. Thirty-degree retroclination (vertical tooth long axis) and proclination yielded 11.6 mm and 4.3 mm, respectively. Morphology-driven 95 % variability was consistently around 4.4 mm. Relative to root height, CR locations were highly reference-dependent, averaging 44–55 % from the mesiodistal alveolar margin and -15–40 % from the labial margin, over the inclination range. Vertical tooth height was the dominant predictor, explaining 93 % of CR variability. Further accounting for labiolingual crown inclination reduced the 95 % prediction interval half-width to 1 mm.</div><div>A reliable CR description requires a well-defined reference frame and is best normalized by vertical tooth length. Including inclination and TM direction as predictors enables sufficiently accurate CR estimates for advanced computer-aided treatment planning and simulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 107312"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145829429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of posterior inclination and facet joint orientation on the annulus fibrosus stiffness and rotational stability of the thoracolumbar spine","authors":"Federica Incatasciato ,&nbsp;Peter P.G. Lafranca ,&nbsp;Luuk H.F. Souren ,&nbsp;Tijl A. van der Velden ,&nbsp;René M. Castelein ,&nbsp;Tom P.C. Schlösser ,&nbsp;Bert van Rietbergen ,&nbsp;Keita Ito ,&nbsp;Joeri Kok","doi":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains unresolved. The human upright posture results in vertebral posterior inclination. It has been hypothesized that this can lead to increased posterior shear in the thoracolumbar spine depending on the actual inclination angle and facet joint orientation which in turn could lead to unlocking of facet joints. This would result in increased axial rotation and thereby the likelihood of overstraining the fibers of the anterior annulus fibrosus (AF). Potentially, these aspects may enhance the risk of AIS development and progression. In this population-based in silico study, we use novel computational techniques to examine how posterior vertebral inclination and facet joint orientation affect range of motion and AF fiber strain in a cohort of children with increased AIS risk. Finite element subject-specific models of the T11-T12 motion segment were created from MR images of 18 prepubescent girls. An axial compressive force representing the combined action of gravity and muscle forces together with axial rotation moment was applied at three posterior inclination angles (5°, 15°, 25°). Facet joint orientation was modelled as subject-specific, lumbar, or thoracic. Posterior inclination had little impact on the stiffness of the neutral zone. However, the fraction of fibers exceeding 15 % strain increased from 14.5 ± 9.3 % at 5° to 18.7 ± 12.4 % at 25°. Transverse facet joint orientation angle highly correlated with the range of motion, but poorly correlated with fiber overstraining. Comparing the lumbar-oriented to the thoracic-oriented facet joints, fiber overstraining increased across all inclination degrees. This study showed that posterior inclination and increasing thoracic-like facet joint orientation increases AF fiber strains, providing further biomechanical evidence that helps understanding AIS development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":380,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 107319"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145829440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}